The Genius and the Strategist
by Shittenou Jadeite
Summary: A newly christened Zoisite begins to wage a one-man war against the senshi, creating chaos at every turn in the hopes of driving the senshi out. Sailor Mercury stands in his way, hoping to save him like his brothers whilst denying her growing attraction for him. Love is not logical, but perhaps logic isn't always right. Act 3 of the Souls Saga
1. Chapter 1

**(Harro! Happy Holidays everyone and uh...yeah, about that. This took a while to get up and I have a long list of probable excuses for that but to sum it up: work, new games, family drama and more work. But now that I'm off for the next month or so, I can invest some time into this. Granted this probably won't be lightning fast updates like TLATA but I'll be working on this as diligently as possible. This couple however isn't going to be easy for me to write though so please bear with me. Also one more thing - all the other stories thus far have been pretty light-hearted save for some bits in the previous story but that changes now. This will be a darker tale than what ya'll are used to so keep that in mind. And apologies for the length but this is just a little taste of what's to come so let me know hat you think! As always, read, review, enjoy)**

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Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

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The acrid smell of smoke filled the air as screams from dozens accompanied it, followed by what sounded like bombs going off. It was a scene of pure pandemonium; people were scrambling to get away from the rapidly encroaching flames and more urgently, the nightmarish shadows that were descending upon them.

It took little effort for her visor to pick out her targets, accurately pinpointing their location as well as their trajectories. They were close to the civilians and many were stumbling out of sheer panic. The shadows knew this and let out victory screeches as they dove upon them, like seagulls preparing to crest the waters of the ocean for their food.

Her reaction was swift.

"_Mercury Aqua Mist_!"

The Jetstream of pressurized water shot out from her cupped hands, drilling into the flock and dispersing it. Many were atomized by the sudden assault but the survivors flew out of range, aiming to locate her and retaliate. She didn't have to wait long.

The youma let out a shriek and descended on her, at least a dozen in total were this close to reaching her. She grit her teeth, cursing herself for making her presence known and braced for the pain.

"Mercury!" a familiar voice shouted, punctuated by the appearance of a familiar brunette who landed on and rode one of the youma down into one of the cars, crashing it. The youma squealed in anguish before it was put out of its misery by the Senshi. "You ok?"

"I'm fine, thank you Jupiter," Mercury replied, quickly scanning for more enemies. "Where are the others?"

"Mars and Venus are looking after the princess, so don't worry about them."

"…and the Shittenou?"

The grin that Jupiter had been faltered a bit at that, but she recovered quickly enough, "Probably looking after the prince," she said, turning to glare up at the reforming flock of youma. "Look, they can take care of themselves. We need to hold these creeps off until everyone can get away." And without another word, she leapt up onto the roof of a nearby store and took off running out of sight.

Mercury pressed on, passing by several burning vehicles with the ones that weren't either having their windows smashed in, or deep gouge marks bore into the surface. Her visor was constantly scanning for any stragglers that hadn't been able to get away in time, as well as bodies. But thankfully, she hadn't found any.

Instead, she made her way through the back alleys, avoiding the streets wherever she could all the while pushing towards the aura she had been tracking since her run in with the flock. So far it hadn't moved, and her analytical brain was already hard at work coming up with several theories as to why that was. It could've – no, she corrected. It was almost certainly a trap. The one who was causing all of this was trying to draw them out.

And she didn't intend to disappoint him.

As she made her way onward, a new sound filled her ears – the sound of sirens, lots of them. That was both good and bad for her and her friends. While it meant that much-needed help was arriving, it was the kind of help that would not be there to specifically aid them. If anything, with the way things had been going, they might just arrest them on the spot.

Her senses tingled more urgently now, as she closed in on the source of the aura. She was close now, and the trembling in her legs was starting to become more pronounced. She ignored it and pressed on, pressing up against a wall and sliding towards the edge. Peeking out slowly, she spotted her target.

The blond pony-tailed haired man was almost unrecognizable now. His once healthy-looking skin was now ghostly white, with his hair having been bleached to a matching shade. His uniform had also changed from the dull gray of the other former Shittenou to a sort of royal purple with red linings across his shoulders and down the length of his arms. But the one thing that made her balk at were his eyes – dull, purple orbs with reptile-like slits for pupils replaced the lively green orbs she remembered only like yesterday.

His aura had undergone a transformation as well, the essence of it making Mercury almost sick to her stomach. It was utterly alien compared to what she had felt from him before all of this.

Zoisite…

"You might as well come out, Senshi. I know you're there."

Mercury froze solid. Impossible! How could he have sensed her? She had been concealing her aura…hadn't she? Swallowing hard, she stepped into view and approached Zoisite, who watched her with an almost indifferent stare. "Zoisite."

"Sailor Mercury. How courteous of you to come to me rather than making me go to the trouble of hunting you down. And now that the herd is cleared out, we can settle our score."

Mercury shook her head, "I don't want to fight you!" she declared, clenching her fist.

Zoisite sneered at her, "Why? Because your little comrades aren't around? Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable with some of my brothers with you as meat shields."

The very concept revolted her, "What has that witch been telling y-!" A burst of air cut her off mid-sentence, followed by a sharp stinging pain in her cheek.

Zoisite narrowed his eyes at her, lowering his hand, "Careful of your words, brat. I will not have you besmirching my queen's name."

"Zoisite, you don't understand-!"

"I understand clearly, Mercury," Zoisite spat, smirking at her. "In fact, for the first time in ages, I'm thinking clearly. I can see the ingenuity of your little plan and even I have to admit, it's devious even for you."

"My plan?"

"Indeed. Your fellow warriors placed some sort of spell on my brothers making them doubt their true loyalties and abandon their sworn duty of serving our gracious ruler, thereby leaving her undefended when you inevitably attack her. It's quite cunning of you, and you clearly planned to do the same to me." Suddenly, his aura began to flare, "but I will not bend so easily like my foolish brothers. I have been blessed for my loyalty by our great ruler herself and have been tasked with ridding ourselves of you once and for all – hence, this little demonstration."

Her eyes bulged as white-hot anger surged through her, "Demonstration," she spat, sweeping her hand out to encapsulate their surroundings. "You call this chaos a demonstration, this terror?! How dare you involve innocent people, Zoisite! If you wish to fight us so be it but leave everyone else out of this!"

"Ah, but that just won't do, you see," Zoisite said with a leer. "You claim to protect this city – well, I'm aiming to test that."

Before she could ask what he meant, the sirens began to get closer and closer until tires screeching filled the air. She turned around and found a convoy of squad cars all surrounding the area, officer already aiming their service pistols at them. "No, wait please!"

"Stand aside, girl! This is your only warning!" the sergeant barked over a megaphone.

"Take a good look around you, Mercury," Zoisite's voice drew her attention back to him. "These are the people you and your friends claim to defend. But it would seem to me they don't need nor want your help. And in this war, well, casualties are an eventuality."

Feeling his aura rise, Mercury quickly shouted to the officers, "No, run! Get away from here!"

"Ready, aim…!" the officers all prepared to fire, even as the air began to vibrate with energy.

"Begone." With just that word, a wave of energy surged forth from Zoisite and forced her to roll out of the way as it slammed into the cop cars. Even as the officers fired their weapons, they and their vehicles were sent hurtling into the air and sent flying into the buildings, some of the cars even exploding on impact.

Screams filled the air anew as Mercury took in the carnage, her heart pounding in her ears like a drum.

_This wasn't supposed to happen,_ she thought helplessly.

"It would be so easy to end you now," Zoisite said as he walked up beside her. "To end all of you, as a matter of fact. But instead, I'll show you how pointless your struggle is and when everyone and everything you love turns against you, only then will I grant you that. Remember your choice, Mercury. This your consequence."

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**(love it? hate it? Yeah I admit it isn't my best work and maybe it isn't the greatest way to start a story, but it's better than having you guys wait another year or so for its release. So, here ya go.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(Sorrysorrysorrysorry! I can't even begin to properly apologize for leaving you guys hanging like I have, but if it's not been the muse being absent it's life. Just straight up life. January was awful, and February wasn't much better. I'm hoping March will be better and there's Spring Break coming up so there's that. Anyhoo, here's a proper start to what is sure to be a fairly interesting tale of action, drama and angst - boy will there be angst. But eventually love...sort of...kind of. It's a work in progress. ****Kay, done rambling. On with the show!)**

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Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

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In Tokyo, the sun had just begun to rise over the land with the first of its luminous rays beginning to gloss over the tops of the many buildings, causing them to glitter in the morning light. The city still bustled as it always did; the city never slept as far as the world knew and for the most part this was true. Its fresh wave of inhabitants emerged from their homes, bid their families goodbye and set off on yet another day – enriching for some, while a chore for many others.

But for one blue-haired young lady, she looked forward to her coming days with purpose and hope. Not many knew because not many chose to know her, but Mizuno Ami was one of the first of many to get up before others did. Every day without fail she was always up just before dawn, getting herself ready for the day ahead as well as ensuring her home was spick and span before she left, if only because of the old adage – cleanliness is next to godliness.

Truth be told Ami never did have much faith in deities until recently. She was a creature of logic, of facts not superstitions. Before, she would've argued endlessly with someone over how there was no credible evidence that such beings existed. A legend here, a rumor there but it didn't mean anything but just that. Thus, she had been of the sound opinion that such beings simply did not exist.

But in the last few weeks, her opinion as well as her outlook on life had changed dramatically.

As the light in the home began to grow stronger and stronger with each passing moment, Ami grabbed her school bag and checked herself over once more before heading for the door. She didn't miss the ever-present note on the fridge left by the only other occupant of her home, but she also didn't need to see it to know what it said. She knew the circumstances of her own mother; her mother had her own responsibilities and though it kept her away from her daughter, Ami didn't hold it against her. If anything, she admired her mother for that very reason. She was giving every bit of herself to make sure they had a life of their own. There was nothing more noble in her eyes.

Stepping outside, the cacophony of the city filled her ears and disoriented her for a second. Cars flew by going this way and that, passerbys bustled through on their way to their destinations while high overhead planes soared high loaded with their own precious cargo. Ami gave a brief smile before heading on her way towards her own destination, gliding through the masses of the city. As she walked, she couldn't help but look back on the events that had led her up to here.

It was still hard to believe that only a month had passed since her life had changed in a new but exciting way. The old Ami who had been meek and insecure still existed, to be sure, but for the most part a new side had blossomed into being with the meeting of someone who had in such a small span of time had become very dear to her. And with that meeting had come new perspectives, new meaning…but also new challenges. After all, being Sailor Mercury was her responsibility now and one she intended to uphold to the fullest.

"Ami-chaaaaan!" She found herself being ripped from her musings by the blonde bullet of energy that she had come to know as Tsukino Usagi, nearly tackling her in a hug.

Ami merely blinked for a minute, giving a smile to the first true friend she'd had in…well, ever. "Ohayo Usagi-chan," she said, patting the girl's shoulder. The girl's answering smile was almost blinding in comparison.

If someone had told her that someone as loveable and energized as Usagi would literally come crashing into her life, she would've just walked away then and there. Even now some part of her still questioned whether this was all just some messed up dream and that she would wake up to return to her old, secluded lifestyle.

If that were the case, she never wanted to awaken.

As they walked on, they were soon joined by another girl who had sent her life in new and fascinating directions – Kino Makoto. Even she had to admit that the girl looked intimidating at first glance but the truth was anything but. Truly Mako-chan, as Usagi had taken to calling her, defied all assumptions and revealed that she was just like them – or well, like Usagi to an extent. The blonde and the brunette had grown very close, which should've made her feel jealous in some way. After all, Usagi had been her friend first if the record were to come into question…

But it wasn't like that, not in the least. If anything, Makoto had given Ami a new example of courage and strength, and not just the obvious kind; she had risked everything time and again to defend those she loved, and that above all else was what Ami admired her for.

It gave her hope, too. Hope that perhaps, she could show the same when the time came.

"Sooo," Makoto fished, jabbing Usagi playfully, "how are you and prince charming getting on?"

The blonde's face ripened rapidly at that, spluttering, "M-Mako-chan, don't tease me like that!" she whined, but added as an afterthought, "and…we haven't done anything yet, at least, I don't think we are."

Makoto grinned like a shark, "Oho? You're telling me that you and prince handsome over there haven't been cozying up lately? Like when you were practically sitting in his lap?" She wiggled her eyebrows for good measure.

Even though her face reddened, she rallied, "L-like you can talk! What about you and Daichi-san? You seemed pretty cozy yourself!"

"Course – he is my boyfriend after all," Makoto replied proudly, which left Usagi at a complete loss.

Makoto's boyfriend was Akihara Daichi, also known by one other name – Nephrite, a former enemy of theirs. Ami still couldn't believe that her friend had not only managed to save him but had even been able to rekindle her relationship with her past life lover. Memories of the Silver Millennium were still foggy in her mind as she had not developed any sort of connection to any of their former enemies like Makoto and another friend of hers, Hino Rei.

_'You know that's not entirely true,'_ a little voice in her mind whispered that had begun to pop up as of late. Like all the other times she shoved it aside, refusing to entertain the thought.

Still…

"Usagi-chan!" a voice called out, one she vaguely remembered. Ami looked up and found that an auburn-haired girl was waving wildly at them. Or more specifically…

"Ohayo Naru-chan!" Usagi called out, racing over at top speed to her friend.

Ah, she remembered now. Osaka Naru was Usagi's best friend and appeared as close as ever, despite everything that had been happening lately. With the Dark Kingdom stepping up its attacks, Ami had noticed just how little time they actually spent around their classmates that wasn't strictly school-related.

However, both her and Makoto kept a respectful distance from the two girls as they caught up at light speed.

"At least some things are still normal for her," the brunnete sighed, her voice low enough that only Ami heard her. "And you're sure that Serenity didn't take over her?"

Ami gave a sigh at that question, having heard it many times before now, "As I told you before, I'm positive. The Princess may be existing in Usagi but it's only that, existing. Usagi is still the girl we know, and nothing's changed."

Makoto grunted but didn't say anything more; Ami didn't need anyone to tell her she wasn't convinced.

She couldn't blame her though. Ever since the princess they had been desperately searching for turned out to be right under their noses, they'd all begun to get a little concerned about where this left them. And now to makes things even more hectic, the Prince of Earth that Jadeite and Nephrite were looking for had ended up being Chiba Mamoru, someone that up until recently Usagi had all but despised.

Now they had two people they were supposed to protect from the Dark Kingdom, on top of an entire city that, if the rumors she were hearing had any merit, wasn't exactly thrilled with them as of late. There had been talk as of late that the city's authorities had caught wind of their last battle mostly in the form of a giant gaping hole in the side of a skyscraper under construction that had, only a few hours later, crumbled to the ground. Makoto hadn't quite lived that little slip up down yet, and neither had the police it seemed. If the very people they were trying to protect decided to get involved, it could get messy. She hoped that it wasn't true.

The bell for class suddenly began to ring, and the students that had been milling about the courtyard started scrambling inside. Usagi and Naru let out a screech before hurrying inside.

"Come on Ami!" Makoto called after her before giving chase.

Ami took a deep breath before following after, brushing aside all of her worries at least for now.

_'One problem at a time, Ami.'_

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Within the expanse of a dark cave, a single figure crouched upon a high stone ledge that overlooked the abyss. Still as a statue, one of the last remaining Shittenou of the Dark Kingdom sat in deep meditation as before him a writhing mass of dark energy swirled around and into itself. But with each breath the figure took, some of the dark energy flew into his body before resuming its patterns.

Unaware, from afar Kunzite observed his remaining brother and once more studied his form. From a distance, the Zoisite he'd come to know and recognize hadn't changed – but his appearance, that was where things differed. His fair skin was much paler now, almost a ghostly white that mirrored the same of his pony-tailed tied hair. His uniform was much sinister looking now as well, clad in the same purple as Queen Beryl's gown or more accurately, the purple of the energy cloud that surrounded him. And though his eyes were closed, Kunzite could still picture those reptilian slits embedded in shards of deep purple.

Zoisite had been changed – of his own accord, sure, but that didn't mean anything to Kunzite. And what's more, Beryl had seen fit to demote him and promote his younger brother just to spite him. Though he would admit to being bitter about the situation, there was something that just felt…wrong with all of this.

What's worse was that every time he seemed to close his eyes, he would see _his_ face. The face of the young man he didn't know, but at the same time did; the face that both condemned him and forgave him; the face that haunted him day and night ever since his run in with that bastard Tuxedo Kamen.

It was enough to drive him batty sometimes.

The only thing that kept his mind sane were the numerous schemes he kept fabricating of ending the Moon Princess's pitiful existence. It both baffled and amused him that neither Beryl nor Metaria, their "great ruler" hadn't figured out the mystery surrounding Sailor Moon. He'd known something was up with the girl from the start but because of a certain blonde-haired temptress, he hadn't been able to investigate. And with Nephrite's recent defection and his subsequent demotion, his operating authority had been severely limited.

Now they had two targets to deal with – Serenity was Kunzite's objective, and he would not rest until the petite blonde's throat was being crushed in his grip; and Prince Endymion-

_**"**Kunzite**…"**_

He whirled around suddenly, eyes wide and his senses on fire. But like every other time, there was no one there. He gripped his head with the makings of a snarl forming on his lips.

"Does something trouble you, brother?" Kunzite nearly jumped at Zoisite's voice, having not even heard the younger warrior creep up on him. When had he gotten so stealthy?

"It's nothing," he bit out, masking his feelings behind a wall of stoicism. "Was there anything you required?"

"Mistress Metaria has informed me that the queen demands our presence," Zoisite explained, his purple orbs blinking almost in a lazy-like manner. "Come, let's not keep her waiting."

As his brother passed by him, Kunzite couldn't help but shudder a bit. Zoisite had been changed, and for the life of him he could not truly tell if it was for the better or worse. Still, he was but a pawn now in this game he'd been caught up in and until his time came, all he could do was play his part.

* * *

As Haruna-sensei went on with her lecture, Ami let her eyes wander a bit towards where her friends were sitting. Makoto was doing her best to take notes, chewing at her thumbnail every so often as she did whenever she encountered something tricky. But other than herself, she was the only one of their little trio who was actively paying attention. Usagi was…

Wait, what _was_ she doing?

Ami blinked a few times as she found herself almost at a loss when she saw her bubbly friend…studying? Taking a closer look, sure enough, Usagi was jotting down frantic but somehow practiced scribbles each time their sensei spoke. And if that wasn't enough, the look of concentration – or the closest one she could get to one with her tongue stuck out like that – was even more of a shock.

_The world really is coming to an end, then,_ she thought with an amused little smile. _Or perhaps a certain someone has influenced her._

Despite the rather unpleasant depiction she had of the man due to Usagi's near constant complaining, Ami was impressed by how mature and studious Mamoru was. The fact that he was also studying to become a doctor was also another good point for him where she was concerned, setting aside the fact that he seemed like a genuinely kind person.

And though she wasn't one to vow such things, she'd eat her book if the guy hadn't at least made an impression of the blonde they were both so fond of.

The day seemed to pass rather quickly, and all Ami could think about was what they might find on the Moon. Artemis and Luna had said that there might be some key to defeating the Dark Kingdom hidden within what remained of the Moon Kingdom, but they hadn't yet told anyone of them about how they were going to do it. That all aside, it wasn't much to go on but the more she thought about how both Rei and Makoto had fought and successfully freed the men they loved, her own feelings for Zoisite came bubbling up. Despite everything, she had come to…care for the strawberry blonde-haired man and had developed a desire to rescue him, if only so he could be free like his brothers.

Relating this to the girls in question however…might not have been the best choice, as they had seemed to have gotten the idea that she had come to like Zoisite like they did their own shittenou.

_Which I do not,_ she refuted for what seemed like the millionth time. Zoisite was her rival and she could see the good in him, but nothing more. He didn't deserve to be a slave to the whims of a madwoman like Beryl or this Metaria that both Jadeite and Nephrite had mentioned – fearfully, she noted. But that was it, nothing more.

_'isn't it?'_ that little voice from earlier whispered, sounding hauntingly like her own.

"Ami-chan?" The soft voice of her friend returned her reality, finding Usagi there staring at her with concern, Makoto at her side with a similar look. "Are you ok? You look tense."

Ami bit her lip. Had she been that obvious? "I'm just thinking about some things, like always." Not a good evasion even by her standards, but the way Usagi's face lightened told her it worked.

Makoto, however, didn't seem convinced. "You really need a break one of these days, Ami-chan. Till then," she reached behind her and pulled out a few bentos and passed them out, "fuel for that brain of yours."

The issue wasn't dismissed, but Ami was glad that Makoto wasn't going to call her on it – or at least, she knew better than to do it around their impressionable friend. "Arigatou, Mako-chan," she accepted with a grateful smile.

The trio sat and ate, Usagi and Makoto chattering back and forth about the latest trends while Ami just listened. It felt…nice, being able to sit like this with people who wanted her around. She knew they could've included her but she was just happy to be present instead of-

"Hey, did you guys hear the news?"

For all her dignity, even Ami couldn't hold back a small cry of shock at the sudden appearance of the quote unquote "dork" of their class.

Gurio Umino, or simply "Umino" was someone who even Ami was nervous being around at times. Her socially-awkward classmate was, according to Usagi, a bit of a know-it-all and had a habit of popping up seemingly out of nowhere – like now.

Usagi aimed a glare at her "friend", "Buzz off Umino, don't make me tell on you to Naru-chan," she threatened.

"Aww, come on Usagi-chan, this is big news and it might interest you too. It's about that big battle with the sailor Senshi!"

It took every ounce of willpower to not flinch at that, same for Usagi and Makoto the latter of whom began to sink a little lower in her chair.

"Hmph, that's old news you little gremlin. We all know that Sailor Moon and her team kicked butt, like always."

_Always so modest,_ Usagi-chan, Ami remarked, carefully hiding a grimace behind her thermos.

Umino smirked and pushed his glassed up higher onto his nose, "Yeah but what you don't know is what the Chief is planning."

"Who's the Chief?" Makoto blurted out, obviously at a loss.

Umino's smirk, somehow, grew bigger, "That's _Chief Tanada_ to you! Seventeen years of service, former JSSDF officer and rumor has it she was the one who arrested the head of a big-time yakuza gang when she was only a rookie. She's a legend in Tokyo!"

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed by how well you're informed or creeped out by how much you know about her," Makoto broke in with a wary look at the boy.

"Moving on!" Umino barked, "Word is she's taking an interest in what happened with the battle, namely the one that caused the new office complex to collapse."

Makoto sunk a little further in her seat…

As if she picked up on her friend's distress, Usagi narrowed her eyes at Umino, her hands on her hips, "Are you saying it's Sailor Moon's fault that the bad guys are such jerks?" she said, defensively. Say what you wanted about her, Usagi protected those closest to her like a lioness her cubs.

Umino waved his hands defensively, "W-wait, don't shoot the messenger! I don't have any problem with Sailor Moon or the rest of the guardians, but the Chief doesn't see it the same way and word through the grapevine is someone with deep pockets is supporting her."

Ami pursed her lips at that, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Umino-san, you wouldn't happen to know who it is would you?"

Admittedly, it was the first time she'd ever addressed him and he'd realized it too. Shifting gears, the rather arrogant tone he'd been taking with Usagi actually changed a bit when he spoke next, "Um…well, there's word it's one of the senators, but I can't remember his name right now. All I know is that his surname started with an H."

For some unexplained reason, Ami felt a cold shiver down her spine at that admission but filed it away for the moment. "I see, thank you Umino-san."

All of this was troubling, to say the least. It was already chaotic enough with just them fighting, but if the local authorities started to get involved… She couldn't even imagine the destruction. The Dark Kingdom was not one for being merciful, and had shown so with Nephrite.

Suddenly she felt a pair of hands clamp down on her shoulders, finding herself faced with an oddly serious Usagi. "…Usagi-chan?"

"Can you show me how to do that," she all but demanded.

How to do… oh.

From over the blonde's shoulder, she saw Makoto no longer sulking but smirking at her. "Careful Ames, you might just end up with another admirer."

Another…? All at once, her thoughts realigned…and her face colored. Oh for heaven's sake!

* * *

"Tell me, Zoisite, have you made any progress in recovering the Ginzuishou?"

From where he knelt, Zoisite closed his eyes and admitted, "I'm afraid not, my queen. The Senshi aren't careless, and they have to know we are hunting them. They must be taking extra care now more than they were before."

Beryl gave a displeased hum but otherwise didn't berate him, which irritated his brother to no end he realized. Truthfully, he didn't feel right having basically usurped his commander's post even though he had little in the decision. Their Great Ruler had decreed that Kunzite was unfit to lead having lost two of his men to the enemy, thus had been stripped of his rank and his status.

Now he was no more than a brooding, hate-filled bodyguard. It was unfitting existence for someone of her reputation and power, but there was little to be done about it at this stage.

Beryl flicked her gaze almost boredly at his brother, who knelt next to him. "And of you, Kunzite? I hope you've been keeping busy."

"I have, my queen," he almost growled, and Zoisite could feel his power bubbling under the surface. He was ready to snap, had been for a while now. But he still held onto his anger, letting it fuel him instead. He almost pitied the Senshi when next they fought which he hoped was soon. "The next time those brats show their faces, Serenity will die."

"I look forward to it," Beryl said with a grin and looked like she wished to say more, but suddenly paused. When she spoke next, the voice of their Great Ruler filled the room and seemed to make the very ground beneath them rumble, **"My knight."**

This time, Zoisite looked up, "Yes, mistress?"

**"If we cannot find them, then we will make them find us,"** Metaria said through Beryl, the ancient entity using the queen as a proxy. Ever since he had received his new station, both of his masters had begun to merge and it had only amplified Beryl's power. For now, Beryl was still in control but he could somehow sense that Metaria, his true master, would eventually assume her form and claim it for herself.

"How?" Kunzite spoke, and Zoisite could tell he immediately regretted it.

Metaria's almost tender, seductive tone he took with him transformed into a snarl of rage, **"Do not question me, peon! You are a soldier,and will do as you are ordered! Yours still stand: support my knight, kill the little moon brat. Do you understand?"**

"I do," Kunzite all but growled out.

Several tense moments reigned before she spoke again.

**"Remember, Kunzite,"** she said suddenly, getting his attention,** "the remainder of your worth now lies in the hope that you can successfully kill one little crybaby of a princess. Despite my reservations, I still acknowledge your capabilities. You brought an entire region to your knees, once. A little girl trying to play hero should be nothing to you I should think. Or am I mistaken?"**

Zoisite felt his brother's aura tense like a tiger, ready to pounce on the next poor sap to try and bait him, "I will prove it. I'll bring her head."

Metaria's laughter mixed with Beryl's, their voices conjoining as they spoke,** "We shall see,"** they said with a cackle. **"For now, lure the Senshi out. Take the Ginzuishou, kill the guardians and bring me Sailor Moon's head."**

The orders were simple enough and he knew without a doubt he could make them happen, but there was still one concerning matter. "And our brothers?"

Beryl/Metaria stared long and hard at him for what seemed like an eternity until they spoke once more, **"Save them, if you can. But I fear they are already gone."**

Zoisite clenched his fists, his purple eyes hardening to pure amethyst, "I will do as you command, my mistress," he said, bowing his head once more.

Indeed, they'd fallen into too many traps set by the upstarts and had suffered heavily because of it. But no more. This time, the roles would be reversed and if the Senshi didn't act…well, then they'd suffer losses of their own.

_Just you wait, you little blue bitch. This war is far from over._

* * *

(So, many apologies for the sort of choppy beginning but painting the scenery is a lot tougher these days for some reason. And though you can start a scene with dialogue, the imagery needs to come next to establish the setting. Anyways, so things are getting underway; the girls are still trying to live their own lives while being heroes, but now their actions have gotten the attention of some interesting people. And before you ask, yes, there will be ocs. Please bear with me as I will have them serve the plot, no matter how...risky I make them. For now, the stage is getting set for what is sure to be a climactic and shocking battle for one senshi, and we haven't even gotten to the trip to the Moon yet. Interesting times await. As for updates, I will be working on them but I can't give an exact time anymore as I am going to be starting college here in June. I'll try to get as much of this going until then, so bear with me. As always, thanks to me readers who have been awaiting this and expect another chapter soon.)


	3. Chapter 3

**(Read, Review, Enjoy)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

* * *

The scene of the now-abandoned construction site for what would've been an addition to the array of Tokyo's skyscrapers was now the site of another type of gathering. Since the battle involving the city's quote unquote "heroes" between…whatever they were fighting, the local authorities had cordoned off the area to any and all civilians. In truth, this whole district had been pressured to be shut down due to the damage the heroes had caused in their efforts. Only word from on high in Tokyo proper derailed that line of thought, but their response had been far from comforting. Rather, if any of them had a real say in the matter, they would've said that the damage was negligible compared to whom their superiors were sending.

The day had started out simple enough. Today was a little foggy, but that was par for the course in November around here. Like every other morning, a stationary force of officers were being sent in to keep the area clear of any bystanders or worse, ambitious journalists always on the lookout for their "big scoop" until that shift was relieved. Time in this case passed by rather slow for the men and women of the city's finest, but today was about to get a lot more hectic.

From out of nowhere, the sounds of what many thought was a race car thundered into earshot causing some to drop what they were doing and look around. The leading officer gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Street racers…," he grumbled. But as he was about to pull out his walkie, the engine grew louder…closer, actually. "The he-?"

When the engine finally quieted, the source was revealed – and everyone there found their eyes glued to the sight of a sharp-looking gray Nissan 300ZX, headlights cutting through the fog like a lighthouse's beam under cover of night. Nobody could believe that something as expensive as this was just sitting there right in front of them like this, but the driver that got out of the car stunned them even more.

A woman of stunning beauty emerged from the vehicle, raven black tresses flowing down just past her ears, a fringe partially covering one brown eye. Clad in a simple fashionable coat, a leather gloved hand lingered on the door as she stared up at the unfinished skyscraper.

The officer despite being married for some 12 years actually swallowed a bit at the sight of this beauty. The lapse in composure was only brief though, as duty came roaring back to the forefront. "Excuse me, Ma'am? This is a restricted area. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

The woman finally turned in his direction and the second she did, he felt himself being sized up. The feeling under this woman's gaze was not unlike that of a tiger that had located its meal – the smile she gaze was eerily similar as well. But if that wasn't strange enough, her first reaction certainly was. "Oh, gomen-nasai officer-san! You see my baby here was starting to have engine troubles, the poor dear," she said, almost lovingly caressing the hood of her car. "I saw the sign, I did honest! But I had to get her somewhere safe so I could look at her, and then I ended up here."

Her mannerisms were a bit off-putting to be sure, but apart of him enjoyed the nice change of pace. Kids like her seemed to have no respect for those in uniform these days. He actually gave a bit of a chuckle, tucking his cap down a bit, "No harm done, ma'am. I'm Officer Asawa. I'll get one of my boys here happens to be a fine mechanic to take a look. But as soon as that's done, you'll have to head out, understand?"

The smile on her face was almost blinding as she practically skipped over to him, beaming. "Really? Really? Thank you so much! You guys are the best!"

Clearing his throat a bit, he turned toward a group of male members his unit that were just gaping at the woman, "What are you morons standing around for? Back to your posts! Hideki-kun," he pointed at one of them, "see what you can do for…" he trailed off, looking back to the woman for an answer.

"Oh! Call me Satomi-chan, officer-san. And thank you again – oh wait, Hideki-san!" she said, catching the younger officer by the arm before he went to her car. "Make sure to be gentle with my baby, ok?" she said with a saucy wink.

Hideki blushed red to his roots before he raced off at light speed, nearly bumping into the gate before he could catch himself.

The older man just sighed deeply, before turning to the woman but found she was already gone. Looking around, he found her staring up at the skyscraper they were guarding, an expression of wonder on her face.

"Wooow!" she exclaimed.

The officer walked over to her and stared up as well, grimacing when he saw the gigantic hole in the building. It still baffled him how something could've made something so huge without using something like a laser. He couldn't believe the eyewitness reports that said they saw a literal lightning bolt cut through the building, the same one that had caused a portion of this place to collapse. The debris had been cleared out relatively quick but the twin to this complex had somehow remained standing.

Now, orders from on high said that commissioner in Tokyo proper was sending someone in to investigate it. Truthfully, he didn't see any point to it. They should've just demolished the place and got it over with, not leave it standing like this waiting for its inevitable collapse.

"It really is strange, and yet I want to know more."

Asawa glanced at the woman who was staring up at hole with a look of fascination that somehow made him uncomfortable. He didn't understand why but there was something about her that put him on edge, more so that told him to be on his guard. "Well, that would be kind of difficult for someone like you, wouldn't it?"

"Why would you say that?" she asked, turning doleful brown eyes up at him.

Before he could respond, what sounded like a small convoy rolling into the area began to fill his ears. Whirling around, he was stunned to find several unmarked cars pull up, the occupants filing out in an orderly fashion. But the thing that made his blood run cold was what they were wearing – the uniform of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

One in particular, an equally beautiful woman clearly not of Asian descent trotted over to them, "Chief, you went on ahead without us again, didn't you?" the woman accused, her accent distinctly foreign but her Japanese was flawless.

Asawa felt his stomach drop at the word. Chief. There was no one here by that rank, no one…

Beside him, Satomi gave a sigh and aimed a mild glare at the foreign woman, "They really should call you a bloodhound, Kata-chan," the woman grumbled. She brushed back her hair and it was impossible to mistake the indent on her forehead for anything other than a scar, a nasty one at that.

That meant that this woman could be only one person.

Snapping to attention, he threw up a salute that was obviously sloppy but he didn't care for it. "C-Chief Tanada, Ma'am!" Luckily everyone else around there got the hint and dropped what they were doing to stand at attention as well, throwing up similar salutes.

Satomi Tanada looked around the construction yard for a long moment before letting out a groan, "If my old drill instructor saw this, he'd string each one of you up by your unmentionables for such a sloppy display," she remarked, the comment sending a cold shiver down Asawa's spine along with those of every other officer there. But Satomi just waved it off, "But this isn't the JSSDF, so at ease or whatever."

Though he dropped the salute, Asawa immediately saw this woman in a new light and realized just how close he could've come to losing his job. This woman had a reputation unlike any other from what he understood and had accomplished feats in just her first 7 years of service that none in their 20+ years of experience had ever done. She was his superior and then some.

Satomi, no, Chief Tanada looked over at him, studying his form intently for a moment before turning away. "Asawa-san, please withdraw your unit."

His eyes bulged. "E-excuse me?" he stammered, curing himself to all hell before he could stop himself.

But instead of being angry, the woman just favored him with a kind smile, "Go home to your families. This investigation is no longer your issue, Sergeant. Besides, it's cold, ne?"

There was little the man could do at that point except abide by her "orders". As he gathered up his unit, brushing off the fact that Hideki had informed him there had been nothing wrong with the Chief's car to begin with, all Asawa could think about was just why someone as famous as the Chief had shown up in their neck of the woods.

Unless…

Unless there was actually merit to what he had heard. Lightning bolts appearing out of thin air that targeted buildings? He didn't want to believe it, but if those Sailor Senshi that his daughter kept babbling on about actually weren't urban legends…

A chill ran down his spine at the mere thought of it, and this time he knew it wasn't the cold.

* * *

Following the withdrawal of the local authorities, it took merely half an hour to get the area cordoned off again. Chief Tanada's forces quickly set about securing the area for a command post, bringing in a mobile operations trailer to serve as a central hub for incoming intel. A chopper was to arrive in an hour to take them up to the site of the opening, but for now Katarina simply sat in what had originally been the foreman's office, now transformed into the Chief's.

Katarina sat across from her new boss, flipping through the mission briefing regarding their investigation. The Chief on the otherhand was nursing a cup of hot cocoa that she had been tentatively sipping at, though she only ended up burning her tongue each time.

Her eyes flicked up after the most recent attempt, "Shouldn't you let that cool a bit, ma'am?" she suggested, finding the image to be oddly nostalgic for some reason.

Tanada just stuck her burnt tongue out a bit, "I like it when it's like this," she retorted, almost childishly. "Better to be burnt than to be freezing cold. Brrr! I thought I left the cold back in Europe!"

The former interpol officer sighed, wondering for the umpteenth time just how she ended up in this situation. Just a few weeks ago she had been in London planning a well-deserved vacation with her boyfriend when this woman had, quite literally, fell into her lap. The report she had summarized of the incident had said that this woman was found loitering around the wreckage of the burnt-out warehouse where the city's former heroine had perished.

…or so they had thought. So _she_ had thought.

She thumbed through the pages, tearing through the contents until they came to a stop on a familiar figure. There weren't any words, just a single blurry photo that someone had somehow managed to take. Anyone else would've just dismissed the shot as the shoddy skill wannabe photographer – she knew different however. This had been taken weeks ago, two months to the date after the target of it would've been declared deceased.

But instead, Sailor V was captured soaring across the skylines of Tokyo, Japan.

Katarina just stared at the image, a thousand questions running through her mind but one rang clear.

Why?

"Something on your mind, Kata-chan?" her boss inquired.

"It's nothing, ma'am," she said, flipping the pages back.

The Chief gave a groan, giving her an annoyed grimace, "Oh don't you start with that, too. We're equals here Kata-chan, no need to be so formal with me."

"Your name would speak otherwise, I would think," Katarina deadpanned.

Tanada set down her cup and leaned forward, setting her hands on the desk as her carefree attitude turned a one-eighty, "A name's a name, and I just made one that people took notice of that's all. A person's worth is determined through our actions, after all."

"Which is all the more reason to-!"

"The same could be said for you," the raven-haired woman pointed out quickly. She then reached out and took the clipboard from her subordinate, thumbing through it before pulling out five sheets. She tossed them out not unlike a card shark would at poker, each page presenting the image of an individual with a disturbing resemblance to Sailor V, just in different colors. "You and I, we've played on our sides and it's worked out for us. Right now, we need that mindset if we're going to figure out what's going on here."

The way this woman acted further cemented in Katarina's mind that this woman had more than earned her keep, and then some. She'd heard about the things that she had done but given her first impression, that of her somewhat air-headed persona she didn't really believe it. But here, just as she had been showing off and on throughout their time together, Satomi Tanada had been proving there was much more than meets the eye.

And considering what they were about to get involved in, that would probably prove to be a gift.

"Unless," Satmoi said suddenly, giving an impish grin, "you'd rather I left you with Nakana-san," she trailed off.

And just like that, Katarina paled. No. No, no the absolute last thing she wanted was to be fed to the proverbial lion where the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was concerned. Sailor V was popular, sure, but even she hadn't met a someone who could've been considered a "super" fan – until she had met Commissioner Sakurada that is.

"Now then, seeing as we got some time," Satomi went on, picking up one of the pictures and showing it to Katarina while tapping her finger on another, "tell me everything you know about this Dark Agency, and I'll tell you how it's connected to these Sailor Senshi.

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Aww, Minako-chan! My notes!"

"Sorry!"

"I seriously can't get over the fact that she's actually trying to study," Makoto remarked, taking a bite of a cookie.

"I wouldn't call it much of a surprise. She still reads manga religiously."

"I heard that, Ryu-chan!" Usagi grumbled, still reorganizing her work.

The blond snickered from where he sat beside Rei, who calmly sipped at her tea. All of them save for the two cats that were snuggled up underneath were seated around the kotatsu, basking in the warmth the space heater provided. Usagi was still shocking everyone by actually pulling a work book out for once, while Minako sat to her immediate right wiping her nose with a tissue.

"I hope I'm not coming down with something," she said a little worriedly, blowing her nose.

"Maybe someone's just talking about you," Rei pointed out, nonchalantly.

"Ryu-chaaaan! Rei's being a meanie!"

Ryuuji just shrugged, "Don't you remember the last time I got involved in something like this?"

"Good boy," Rei said almost inaudibly, hiding a smirk behind her tea cup.

"You two are heartless!" Minako pouted, folding her arms like a petulant child.

In the middle of all of this sat Ami, who was admittedly still pondering what Umino had told them. It was concerning, but she hadn't had a chance to bring it up with everyone yet. Mostly, she was still focused on figuring out what the Dark Kingdom's next move would be but so far, everything had been quiet. None of the Shittenou had appeared, and they hadn't fought a youma in at least a week.

Something just wasn't right.

The door to the room suddenly slid open, and two familiar faces popped in. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I think someone here lost something?" Mamoru said playfully, pulling his friend's head into view.

"Dai-chan!" Makokto squealed, launching herself at Daichi's exhausted form, nearly taking him down with her.

Mamoru laughed at the sight, but was unprepared for a certain blonde to throw herself at him in a similar manner, glaring playfully down at the girl whose arms were snaked around his waist. "Hello to you too," he said with a smirk.

Am smiled warmly at the sight until a disgruntled noise came from underneath the kotatsu, followed by the appearance of two annoyed looking cats.

Artemis gave a death glare to those in attendance, "Can't a cat get some decent naps around here?" he all but growled.

Minkako just snickered and pulled him over to her, rubbing him affectionately against her face, "Aww, don't be such a sour puss," she cooed, which only made Artemis start hissing.

Meanwhile, Daichi had managed to make it to the kotatsu and almost cried with relief when he felt himself warming up. "I love you so much!" he all but sobbed as he hugged the space heater.

"Great, my only competition in the world is a table," Makoto deadpanned, with a glare at her boyfriend.

"It's his fault for putting himself out there to try and find a job," Ryuuji pointed out, only to get a cookie thrown at his head.

Makoto lowered her throwing arm, "Hey, at least he's actually trying to look for a way to support himself! You're lucky Rei can put up with your arrogant ass sometimes otherwise you'd be out on the street."

"Nah, Rei wouldn't do that to me right?" the blond said cockily, aiming the question at his girlfriend who just went on sipping her tea. His face started to seat a bit, "Wait, you wouldn't right?"

"The thought has crossed my mind a few times," the raven-haired girl admitted with a straight face. At his cresfallen expression, she added, "I suppose you'll just have to work a little harder from now on."

"Hey! I was told to take it easy! Didn't you say you wanted me to recover?"

"And who's fault was it that they ended up needing to in the first place?" Rei retorted, narrowing her violet eyes at him.

The young man opened his mouth to retort but, finding no argument, let his head flop forward on the table.

Once everyone was through laughing at his expense, Luna and Artemis hopped onto the table and sat down. "Alright, since you are all quite lively today, best we get the bombshell out of the way." The white feline paused for a moment, making sure he had their attention before going on. "In two weeks time, we will be journeying to the Moon."

The girls, save for Ami, just blinked at the announcement until Usagi rose her hand like she was in class. "Ummm, how?"

Luna padded forward and took over from there, "In addition to your own realms of influences, you girls possess an ability to cross vast distances called the Sailor Teleport. That will be the only way we shall reach the Moon."

Makoto just looked skeptical, "But isn't the Moon like, I dunno, in space? Where we can't breathe?"

"For the most part, yes. But where we're going, we will be able to…provided the barrier is still held all these centuries…"

"And what are we going to find there?" Rei finally questioned, narrowing her eyes at the felines.

"The remnants of the Moon Kingdom."

Everyone shot a look at Mina who had now adopted a serious expression, letting her words sink in for a minute. Only Usagi and Ami seemed to be a bit out of the loop as both Rei and Makoto suddenly paled, looking like they were about to faint right on the spot.

They weren't the only ones though. Save for Mamoru, who like Usagi didn't fully remember his past like, Ami glanced over at the two Shittenou in the room who now looked about as uncomfortable as one could be. Ryuuji for the first time looked nervous being next to Rei, and poor Daichi looked like he was about to be sick.

"…why do we have to go there?" the auburn-haired man finally uttered, his voice almost too quiet to catch.

Either Artemis didn't pick up on the atmosphere or just didn't care, his words were almost merciless as a response. "The answers to this crisis may lie within our past, even after the end."

"But, there's nothing up there… We-!" Ryuuji exclaimed, but froze as though he was surprised by his own words. Rei didn't look at him, but Ami didn't miss the way she flinched at Ryuuji's voice. The blond clenched his fists then stood up, moving to head for the exit. Before leaving he paused and looked back at Rei who still hadn't looked up. A pained expression filled his visage before he stormed off, his footfalls growing faint.

Everyone was left stunned by the reaction, Makoto namely but for Usagi and Ami, the act was completely out of character. Mina seemed to know this as well, reaching over and taking Rei's hands in a gentle clasp.

"He still hasn't let it go…has he?"

Rei's only response was to look up at her, and this time Ami could catch a glimpse of the tears she refused to shed.

"I…I should go," Daichi made to leave but a hand snaked around his sleeve before he could rise. Furious emerald orbs glared into his eyes, pinning him on the spot.

"Don't even think about it," she hissed at him, forcing him back down.

Even though she had no idea what was going on, Usagi reached over and took Daichi's hand, giving him a reassuring smile, "Stay for her, Daichi-san."

Ami was once again awed by the power the blonde's smile could do to even the most tormented heart, Makoto's gratitude evident as she mouthed a thank you to the girl.

"Perhaps we should put a pin in this discussion for now," Mamoru suggested, getting everyone's attention. "After all, we've got time till we have to really do anything – right?" he aimed that last question at the two cats who nodded. He then turned a smile on Usagi, "There's still some time before you have to head home; how about we grab a bite at the arcade? My treat."

Usagi of course lit up at the idea of spending time with her two loves, though she still made to pat Rei on the shoulder and give her a few words of encouragement. Rei just nodded but didn't meet her eyes.

"…we need to get going too," Makoto finally found her voice, giving Daichi her fiercest look that brokered no argument. "We've still got that dinner your mom has been wanting to have, and I for one don't want to make that woman mad."

That managed to get a sort of chuckle out Daichi even though his eyes remained glassy. Still, he let Makoto pull him up and practically lead him by the nose out of the room with Usagi and Mamoru right on their heels.

That left only Ami, Mina, the guardians and Rei sitting in the room though the latter excused herself not long after to go attend to the remainder of her duties – and perhaps to find where Ryuuji had gone.

Mina gave Artemis and glare and yanked the cat up by his pelt, lifting him over to her face, "You and I need to have a chit-chat about tact, kitty cat," she scolded the feline who paled a bit.

"It's the truth and they know it," Artemis protested but only got his ear yanked in response.

This time, Luna gave a sigh and padded over to them, aiming a pleading look at the white cat, "When are you going to accept that time's have changed, and so have the people?"

Artemis just harrumphed.

Ami just sat there, puzzled. The way Rei and Makoto had reacted was somewhat understandable, and she suspected Ryuuji had done something bad in his past. But the way Daichi had looked like he was about to throw up worried her, and worse was how…fiercely Makoto had taken this. Was this their memories of their past lives coming back, or something else?

The confusion must've been obvious because Mina apparently saw it. "Sorry about this Ami-chan, but we'll have to cut this short for today. Don't worry about this too much. Rei and Mako will set those two straight, count on it." She paused for a second, then smiled her usual smile, "Hey, how about we walk home together? We both live in the same area."

At first, her first reaction was to decline but a thought occurred to her that made her reconsider. Ami hadn't really had the chance to talk one on one with Minako since she had officially joined their team; and if she were to be honest, she had a few things she wanted to pick the blonde's brain about.

Minutes later, they were heading down a busy city street just as a light snowfall had begun to descend. Cars and people passed them by without a care, each lost in their own worlds. Ami wasn't any different.

"Um…Minako-chan?" she started.

"Hmm? Got something on your mind, Ami-chan?"

Ami bit her lip for a minute. She had to be careful how she worded this just in case it came off sounding too forward, though there was very little other way she could. And she wanted to know, no – she needed to know how Minako thought about all of this.

"Do you…remember your past?"

And just like that, Minako slowed to a stop, her gaze centered on the ground. Ami almost got an apology out before she raised her hand. "It's fine, I'm not gonna blow up like those two did – well, like Mako-chan did anyways," she assured, but her smile was full of pain this time. "I do, probably more than Rei and Makoto though that hardly makes me special."

Ami hated doing this but she pressed on, "I'm sorry, but… What do you remember?"

"A lot of things I wish I didn't," she answered, and Ami flinched at the blunt response. "But…a lot of good, too."

"…with Kunzite?" Ami ventured, hoping this wasn't too forward of her. She knew that the eldest Shittenou had to be considered a sore subject for her, but even still Minako had at least been positive and determined about her situation.

Minako's expression nearly broke Ami's heart. "Yeah…the big dummy. I've not given up on him – to be honest, I don't think I can."

"But he's our enemy-"

"Like Zoisite is, right?" Minako stated, and this time Ami noted the bitterness in her voice. Minako sighed and touched her shoulder, "Ami, you don't have to worry about setting me off, ok? I've long gotten used to chasing that man, even when we were separated by normal means."

"Then…why push yourself like this? Why do it when it's so difficult seeing him the way he is?"

Minako just stared at her for a long while, not speaking but searching for something in her. What, she didn't know…but she seemed to find it as her face lit up a bit. "It's simple, really. He has my heart and, no matter what he says I still have his – in a firm, unyielding grasp. Isn't that true for you?"

Of all the things she had expected out of the blonde, that was the absolute last, "What do you mean, of course not," she shot back, a little testily and cursed herself for the reaction.

Minako let out a giggle and patted her on her cheek, "So sure are you? Me thinks otherwise, and this love goddess is rarely ever wrong!"

"I told you it's not like that!" Ami protested, feeling her face warm up at the thought.

Minako waved her off, "Fine, fine, but you'll see with time. I hope that it's not too long though." Sudennly, she sobered up and gave the blunette a serious look, "Ami-chan, this is just a friendly warning to you so please listen. The more you start to think about him, the stronger your desire for him will become. And with that you'll start to…see things that'll seem more like dreams – in later cases, nightmares."

"What are you saying?"

"Whether you admit it or not, you share a strong connection to that guy and one that's only going to get stronger as time goes on. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; that link you share will make your life hell for a time as you start to remember. But remember: only you are capable of deciding how strong you will be for it."

Ami just stared, speechless at the supposedly ditzy blonde who had spoken. What was she supposed to say to something like that anyways?

All of a sudden, her communicator began to chirp, emanating from the new watch that Luna and Artemis had given them. That meant only one thing – Senshi business.

* * *

**(I blame Pso2. And Warzone. And Tiberium Wars. And brownies - lots of brownies. Anyways, what did you guys think? So yeah, Satomi Tanada is my OC, my first real official one anyways. I hope I established her well enough, and Katarina. Had to be my homework a bit before I could even think of where to start writing this one. Still need to, but now we can finally get to the battles which is where things are really going to kick off. There won't be anything really substantial where Ami and Zoisite are concerned next chapter, but more to focus on establishing a sub-plot with the rest of the couples. I told you things were going to get darker for them and I shall deliver! Till next time - stay safe, stay healthy.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(Read, Review, Enjoy)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

* * *

Downtown was a scene of chaos once more as a creature of pure darkness rampaged through the streets, frightening the city's inhabitants and sending them scurrying. The creature which resembled a woman with pale skin and gangly limbs wearing a tattered cloak moved about like a ghost, the very sight causing most children to shriek in fear before being scooped up by panicking parents. The creature let out a dark giggle as she watched the frail humans flee, its beady red eyes glimmering with malevolent glee.

Zoisite observed all of this from his vantage point nearby on the roof of an office building, his hands in his pockets while his ponytail swayed gently in the breeze. His eyes narrowed as he watched the newly created youma frolic about down below, causing as much of a disturbance as humanly – or youma-ly – possible. As the adage rung true: make enough noise and sooner or later someone will come over.

A fact that applied perfectly to the so-called heroes of this place.

As their screams filled the air, Zoisite kept his senses alive in anticipation of the arrival of the Senshi and his brainwashed brethren. The various youma attacks that had been dealt with by them had been merely probes, scouts to see just what he was up against. By now he had a basic understanding of how each of them would react when faced with certain situations, and felt confident enough that one single concentrated assault would crush them.

But his master had held him back. If it had been Beryl, perhaps he might've openly questioned her decisions. But Metaria was an entirely different entity altogether; speaking out against her was ill-advised, as his brother had been finding out the hard way.

As for Kunzite, his brother had gone off on his own once they had returned to the city, citing his own mission that he had to complete. His would be a difficult one to be sure, but Metaria had forbidden him from interfering.

Now here he was, watching from the sidelines once more as someone else got to deal with his enemies. A part of him was very much annoyed with the idea but he quashed it down before it could be recognized. Metaria was a part of him now in a way and thus he had to shield his thoughts at times.

But not well enough.

**_"Zoisite,"_** his master's voice all but purred in his ears, **_"your thoughts are troubled. Do you have something you wish to say?" _**

Zoisite paused. While he felt he was allowed a certain degree of leeway when it came to her, he had to be careful how he voiced his concerns. Metaria wasn't like Beryl – she was worse. "Master, I do not understand your approach."

**_"Very few do, and fewer come out with their sanity intact,"_** Metaria cackled in his ear.**_ "But there is no harm in explaining I suppose. You, my dear Shittenou, are but a witness to what will be the fall of those accursed Senshi." _**

Zoisite narrowed his eyes down at the rampaging monster, "But a youma, mistress? What makes this one different than all the others we used?"

Metaria giggled in his ear, and he could've sworn he felt a hand lay upon his shoulder as she said, **_"This one will break them." _**

Before he could ask anything further, his senses flared as several familiar auras registered through his mind – one particular that made him scowl and his fists clench. "They are here," he hissed, moving to leap only to freeze mid-jump.

_**"No,"**_ Metaria said calmly, **_"as I have said, you are but a witness to this event. Do not reveal yourself. Your time is not now." _**

Frustration mounted within him before he could suppress it but rather than upset her, it only made Metaria laugh. **_"Your bloodlust will be sated, my pet. For now, be patient and watch." _**

There was little to do at that point but heed her commands, however much he didn't want to. But as his enemies all filed onto the scene one by one, his gaze was locked on the blue-haired girl whose face still made his heart ache for some reason.

A notorious feeling that he ruthlessly squashed down like always.

…

"Hurry get out of here! Run!" Sailor Jupiter shouted to the last of the civilians before facing the reason for their fright. The youma merely cackled at her as plumes of black smoke bellowed up from the ground, taking the form of a snarling, gremlin like creatures that numbered close to ten.

Her emerald eyes narrowed as electricity began to crackle around her arms, "You freaks caught me on a _bad_ night!"

"Don't get too careless!" Nephrite shouted at her, drawing his sword and taking up a position behind her to fend off any sneak attacks. He had his own batch of minions to deal with, close to the number that she was facing up front.

It wasn't just them either. Each of the heroes were surrounded by a number of these things and though they proved quickly to be weak, they were numerous and spawned about fast as they could wipe them out.

Sailor Venus grimaced after she lashed another couple with her chain, only to find more in their place right afterwards. "Yeesh, what's the deal with these things!? They're popping out faster than we can cut through them!"

Sailor Mercury's fingers danced across her computer, her visor actively scanning the forms of the monsters before her while also analyzing the youma they were clustered around. "While their composition isn't as strong as a youma's, their dark energy signatures are very much the real deal. I'm afraid we'll just have to keep cutting through them."

"_Or_ we just cut to the chase and take out that one," Jadeite pointed out, his tone disturbingly calm for being surrounded like he was. He of course was referring to the strange looking youma that seemed content to sit back and watch, cradling a floating crystal ball in its palms.

Jupiter just growled as she tore her way through the horde that surrounded her and Nephrite, the latter doing his best to keep his own pack at bay with sword swipes and energy blasts.

"_Fire Soul_!" Sailor Mars shouted, sending out a wave of fire that incinerated the shadows that were surrounding her. One managed to survive however and tried to lunge at her from behind, but she quickly whirled around and caught the thing's maw with her hand. A quick burst of her aura and the shadow dissolved in her grip, the Senshi turning a quick glance over to Jadeite.

Mercury glanced over as well and was shocked by how aggressive the blond Shittenou was fighting. Normally in their battles he would be cracking jokes and teasing Mars throughout it, but apart from earlier he hadn't uttered a word. This time however, he let his actions speak for him and to be honest, his current state made her a little afraid.

Something had changed with him, and Nephrite. Could their upcoming trip to the Moon be that traumatizing for them?

"Alright, I've had it with that thing!" Venus snapped, cracking her whip to dispel another horde of shadows. "Mercury, mind giving us some cover?"

"R-right!" Mercury acknowledged, and prepared her attack like she had done many times before. "_Aqua Mist_!" A wave of thick fog burst out and enshrouded the area, but a side effect of it showed the shadows letting out an eerie squeal before vanishing into vapor.

Venus blinked at the result but took it in stride with a grin, locking her eyes on the youma, "Well alright then! _Crescent Beam Smash_!" she shouted, aiming her index finger and shooting a beam of golden energy at her target.

Suddenly, just as the beam was about to strike the youma, it vanished.

"Huh?!"

"VENUS WATCH OUT!" Mars screamed, shoving her out of the way just as the youma reappeared. The youma let out a giggle as the crystal ball in its hands began to glow brightly before it dispelled a burst of purple light, smashing into the Senshi and sending her flying.

"Mars!" Venus cried out, pushing herself to her feet.

"REI!" Jadeite yelled, letting out a cry of rage as he lunged at the youma as it too vanished. "Damn it!"

"Where did it go?!" Jupiter demanded, her eyes darting this way and that.

Mercury's eyes widened as she saw the thing materialize behind the jovian Senshi, "Jupiter, behind-!"

The brunette was more than ready, "Gotcha!" she said with glee, ramming an electrified hand through the youma. But to her horror, the youma merely grinned at her before it did the same to her as it did to Mars.

"DAMN YOU!" Nephrite roared, rushing over to stand protectively over the fallen Senshi who moaned in pain. The youma faded away with a giggle once more before Nephrite could hit it.

Mercury moved to check her friends for any injuries, but then found herself facing the same youma. Up close, she could pick out grisly details of the youma from the malnourished limbs to the long-jagged fingernails of its hands. A bright light erupted from the crystal ball it held and consumed her vision, along with the feeling of falling through the air.

In that brief moment, a flash of what appeared be blurry images raced across her mind's eye but the impact with the wall brought her back to reality. Strangely enough, aside from the pain from hitting the wall she felt fine. Really, all it had done was launch her backwards and gravity had done the rest. But as she was about to rise up and fight again, another voice punched through the air.

"_Moon Tiara Boomerang_!"

The youma let out a squeal of surprise as it quickly avoided the glowing discus, the tiara flying back to its wielder who caught it in her gloved hand.

Sailor Moon stood ready for battle, performing her usual entrance line, "How dare you harm my friends like this, you freakazoid! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

Mercury blinked a bit before a white gloved hand came into her view, belonging to the newest member of their team, "You alright, Mercury?" Tuxedo Mask asked, his face one of concern behind his mask.

"I'm fine," she said assuringly, grasping the offered hand as he helped her up. "That youma is different from the others we've fought."

"It seemed pretty frightened of that tiara of hers," the masked hero pointed out, watching the princess rant at the youma who actually seemed a little hesitant now. The man gave her an apologetic look, "I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner. We…ran into some trouble ourselves."

Before she could ask what he meant, she realized he was right about one thing. For whatever reason, it was scared of Sailor Moon's tiara which meant it could hurt it. But if it kept teleporting, they'd never manage it, unless…

Of course!

"Venus," she called out, relieved to find the veteran Senshi still on her feet, "can you trap that thing with your chain?"

"Oh I'll do _more_ than trap it," Venus declared, cracking her love whip viciously. "Try and dodge this!" She lashed out with the chain, sending it towards the youma who tired to avoid it but this time, the chain coiled around its form. The youma let out a terrified squeal as Venus grinned wickedly. "Got you now."

"Now Sailor Moon!" Mercury instructed.

"_Moon Tiara Boomerang_!" The Senshi let the discus fly towards the youma as it screeched and struggled futilely, the discus cutting straight through its form this time. The creature let out one last shriek as it dissolved into shadow.

Mercury let out a sigh of relief, as Moon raced over to the two fallen Senshi that were now getting on their feet. Both Jadeite and Nephrite hovered around them, much to the irritation of the girls. At least they're ok, she thought with relief although now she wondered just why it targeted only them. None of the Shittenou had been hit with that attack, whatever it was and had only focused on the Senshi.

"Aww man, I really wanted to clobber than thing!" Jupiter whined, putting her hands behind her head with a pout. At Nephrite's cross look, she sighed, "I'm fine, Neph, really."

"Didn't I say not to be careless?" he scolded, but relaxed a bit nonetheless.

Mercury watched the two fall back on their usual routine until a loud voice echoed sharply across the area.

"I SAID I'M FINE!"

All eyes shifted over to the other couple who were glaring at her each other now, eyes narrowed almost to slits with neither willing to back down.

Mercury could see that Jadeite was very upset by what happened to Mars, and her indifference to what happened wasn't helping things. "That was reckless of you and you know it! What would've happened if that thing was packing more power than it let on?"

"And as you can see, I'm just fine," she snapped, turning away from him. "Besides, there's no way I'd let anyone get hurt if I can prevent it. You'd do the same thing in my place," she pointed out, then turned toward him with a glare that made Mercury flinch though she wasn't the target of it, "you have done the same, if you recall."

Jadeite clammed up at that reminder, turning away with a growl as she glared at his back.

Moon however stepped forward and grabbed the other's hands, "Hey guys, come on, we made it through didn't we?" she said, trying to give the two a winning smile. Any other time it might've worked – not tonight however.

Almost viciously, Mars ripped her hand from Moon's and turned the full force of her glare onto the blonde, "And where were you, then? We needed you!"

Unprepared for that backlash, Moon flinched back in a bit of fear with blue eyes wide with shock, enough that Tuxedo Mask had to step in.

"That's not fair to her and you know it," he said in reproach, narrowing his eyes at the raven-haired beauty behind his mask. "We tried to come but then-"

"Oh, so this is where you ran off to," a voice sounded from up high, Venus in particular flinching at it. Mercury lifted her gaze to a nearby rooftop, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the leader of the Shittenou standing there calmly, surveying the area with a cold gaze. But the real fear she felt was how he was not looking at her, but at her princess who tried to merge into Tuxedo Mask's body at the sight of him. "You cannot run from me forever, Serenity."

"Kunzite, leave her alone," Tuxedo Mask all but ordered the man, taking a protective stance in front of the blonde girl.

Kunzite stared coldly at the tuxedo-clad hero with strangely intense eyes before the cold indifference returned, "You dare to think you can give me orders, punk? That bravado of yours has started to test my patience and I believe it's time we put an end to it. Now, stand aside or die."

"Does that include us, commander?" Nephrite questioned, stepping up in a defensive stance beside the two, Jupiter mirroring him on the opposite side.

"This has nothing to do with you, traitor," Kunzite spat, his eyes narrowing at his former brother.

"I believe it's _traitors_, boss," Jadeite corrected, aiming his own glare up at the white-haired Shittenou. "And if you want them, you'll have to go through us."

Suddenly, Venus stepped into view and showed a determined expression, her navy blue eyes locked squarely with Kunzite's. "Kunzite," she said, her voice soft but heard clearly by all, "don't do this. You don't have to do this."

The general's gaze somehow became even colder, "Last warning – stand aside or die."

"Never."

Kunzite scoffed, "So be it."

Mercury could feel the power of the Shittenou begin to seep through her senses, but she ignored her instincts of telling her to run and only moved closer to her princess, ready to defend her. The others did the same albeit is different manners, all ready to fight with all they had.

But as it seemed another ferocious battle was about to break out, Kunzite's cold gaze suddenly mirrored surprise. He said nothing but from the way his face shifted emotions from surprise, shock and finally anger, there was little doubt what was happening.

And if it was any further indication, the flaring of Venus' aura was another tell.

With a snarl, Kunzite glared at the group, "Consider yourself fortunate." And with that, he vanished into thin air, leaving them alone once more.

Mercury released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding just as Sailor Moon let out a huge sigh of relief.

"That guy is terrifying!" she whined, shuddering a bit.

"He wasn't always like this," Venus said softly, barely heard by anyone.

"You say something V-chan?" Jupiter asked, puzzled.

Venus quickly shook her head, pasting a smile on her face, "It's fine! Nobody got hurt, right?"

"I wonder about that," Jadeite muttered, his eyes rolling towards his girlfriend who glared back at him with crossed arms.

"Don't start," she cut him off before turning on her heel to leave.

Mercury stared worriedly at her retreating form, wondering just what had come over the fire Senshi all of sudden before aiming a look at the blond Shittenou.

"Best to let her cool off I guess," he said wearily before turning to the twin-tailed Senshi. "Don't let what she said get to you too much, ok?"

The moon princess nodded but the sad look remained in her eyes as the raven-haired girl's words lingered in her mind. "Maybe she's just cranky? I guess it is pretty late after all."

"If that were true, she'd be worse," Jadeite remarked which earned a giggle out of the girl.

"Jadeite," Tuxedo Mask said with a growl, wrapping an arm around the blonde.

Jadeite put up his hands and backed away slowly, "Ok, ok I'm going," he said with a small grin, turning to follow after Mars.

"Soooo…think we can sneak back into your parent's place?" Jupiter asked, aiming a mischievous grin up at Nephrite who sighed.

"It'd be easier if we head back to your-WHOA!"

Jupiter snagged his arm with a blossoming grin, beginning to tug him away, "Say no more!"

"I'm not sure whether or not to pity him at this point," the masked hero remarked dryly as they two left, earning a knowing smile from his princess.

"Weren't we the same way at one point, though?" she said almost sultrily before she caught herself, everyone left aiming a wild-eyed look at her. Her face colored rapidly and she tugged on the man's arm, "L-Let's go Mamo-chan!"

"S-sure," he stammered, allowing her to tug him off like Jupiter had Nephrite. "Catch you guys later then."

That left only Mercury with Venus who hadn't moved from her spot before. In fact, she was as still as a statue which only made her worries increase. "Venus...?"

The blonde flinched at her name, whirling around to give her an almost frantic look that was only brief before it settled. "Oh! I…sorry about that."

Mercury's worries didn't relent, walking over to her friend, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly – _too_ quickly. "It's late, we should be getting home now. Still have school in the morning, right?"

She was dodging the question, obviously, but she didn't have the heart to call her on it. Plus, there was a headache beginning to form in the back of her mind that had begun to only increase in size as time went on. "Ok. Please get some rest."

"Yes, _mom_," Venus winked and leapt off onto the rooftops heading away.

Mercury made to leave as well but just as she was about to, she felt a sudden presence nearby – a familiar one, yet unfamiliar at the same time. It was close and its aura called out to her in a way only one person's did. A quick scan of the area didn't result in anything but frustration as her headache worsened. Left with little choice, she fled the scene unaware of the pair of eyes that watched her every move.

* * *

His eyes never left her form even after she fled from sight, and it was all he could do to keep from chasing after her. She had been so close; all of them had been. This was what he had been training for, to finally get his revenge on those vile witches that had stolen his brothers – his family – from him. And more than anything he wanted to look into those blue eyes of the blue-haired brat as he wrung her neck, to watch the light leave her eyes.

But instead, Metaria had held him back so her little pet youma could go and rampage for…what? The youma was not anything particularly fearsome compared to past attempts by his former brothers. It did seem to possess some degree of ability that gave it an advantage over the Senshi, initially. But in the end, it fell like all the others to their combined unity. Though he hated to admit, it was perhaps their greatest trait as well as his most frustrating.

**_"Unity, you say?"_** Metaria's voice slithered through his mind like a snake, and it took all he had to not shudder at it. How long had she been listening to his thoughts? **_"Long enough,"_ **Metaria answered with a small chuckle. **_"In any case, you are onto something my apprentice, something that poor deluded Beryl has yet to grasp. Tell me, what do you believe was the purpose of that youma?" _**

His first instinct was to call it a failure, damn the backlash. But as he thought back to what the creature had actually managed to do as well as the aftermath, the gears in his tactically inclined brain started turning. It didn't take him long to come up with an answer, one so obvious he was almost ashamed he had initially dismissed it, **_"You never wanted the youma to kill them outright,"_** he stated, his eyes widening at the realization.

He could practically visualize Metaria's grin in his mind at his response, **_"Very astute, young one. I see why you were selected as your kingdom's strategist." _**

"But why spend so much effort on a youma you were just intending for death?" he questioned, bravely. "It seems like a waste."

**_"Cause and effect, my dear general,"_** Metaria said cryptically, cackling at his puzzled expression. **_"As the saying goes: there is a method to my madness. For now, return. Your brother has already done so." _**

There was more that Zoisite wished to ask of the unusually generous being, but he felt her presence leave his mind soon after. Not entirely however; since he had become her prized pupil, she had put a piece of herself within him as to keep a constant eye on him. For now there was little he could do but follow her wishes, though he did wonder how Kunzite's mission had turned out.

* * *

Were anyone allowed to set foot in his personal quarters, one would gape at the sheer destruction of the room of one platinum-haired man as he leaned against the wall, his hand clutched at his face as though to claw it off. The four poster bed was destroyed, having caved in on itself with the elegantly-styled dresser suffering a similar fate. Chairs and stools lay broken around the room, the debris littering the ground.

Kunzite let out a heavy breath, his hand flexing over his eyes as his eyes rapidly scanned the room. To anyone else, he'd appear to have lost his mind but for the man it was a very different story. In fact, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say the disgraced general was reliving his past.

Through his eyes he struggled to tear his eyes from one single figure in the room that looked out of place considering the chaotic state of the room. Adorned in ceremonial armor that of an ancient time, a handsome ebony-haired young man stared at the man with a mixture of sadness and relief. His voice, though soft in tone, held a commanding power to it that made Kunzite almost flinch. "Kunzite."

"No! You…what do you want from me?!"

Who was he? Blast it why did his face strike him so!? His name lingered in the far reaches of his mind but for the life of him, he could not force himself to grasp the knowledge. All he knew was that the very sight of this man sickened him.

"Do you view me as an enemy, old friend?"

"I don't even know you!" Kunzite all but shouted. "Begone!"

"Not until you are free, general," the man said calmly, unfazed by his rage.

Kunzite let out bark of mocking laughter, "General? No, no, there's no general here according to my queen. Just a pathetic failure who can't even capture one stupid little princess! And if that wasn't bad enough, now he's been hexed to boot. That's the truth of the matter, now isn't it?"

"Kunzite-"

"I SAID BEGONE!" Kunzite roared, throwing a hand forward and launching a blast of energy at the specter, hoping to vanquish it. But to his horror, the blast merely went through the phantom and into the wall, leaving a glassy crater as a result. He panted hard, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the still unmoved man, swallowing hard. "What…_are_ you?"

"You already know who I am. And I know who you are, and this is not what you are meant to be. You need to remember who you are, Kunzite."

"The only thing I need," he started, regaining some of his composure as he straightened up to eyeball the man with disdain, "is to wring that little moon brat's neck so I can shove that blasted crystal in my queen's smug face. Then I'm going to tear those damned Senshi apart and beat my insubordinate officers within an inch of their lives."

But where this show of superiority would've had any lesser being practically pissing themselves, the young man instead…grinned. "It is good to see that you are not entirely gone, my old friend, if only a little misguided."

_Why this insufferable little- _

The armored man suddenly tensed, aiming a look somewhere behind him with the first real look of fright he had gotten out of the man, "I must go for now. Remember Kunzite, please. There's not much time left."

And he was gone, and that left Kunzite alone in a room that was…well, no longer inhabitable. The former general merely cast a slow look around the room before he waved his hand in front of him, casting a special spell that restored his belongings to their former state. He let out a sigh and scratched his head, feeling an itch come on that was quickly forgotten when he heard a knock at his door.

The door slid open, revealing Zoisite standing there with a puzzled expression on his face. "Brother, are you unwell? You left the queen's chamber rather fast earlier."

Kunzite bit back a curse. Of course that wouldn't have gone unnoticed given how he'd been acting. But even he hadn't been expecting to be accosted by a spectral invader in the form of the armored man, and it had taken all of his training to not make a scene in front of Beryl and his younger brother.

Or so he had hoped, anyways.

"An urgent matter required my attention, nothing more," he responded curtly, not even caring how cold he sounded even to Zoisite. And considering he knew the truth about Metaria, he couldn't very well trust his own brother anymore.

Still, Zoisite seemed satisfied with that and smiled, almost projecting a nostalgic vision of himself, "So long as you are well then, brother. I apologize, but I must go. Mistress Metaria wishes to speak to me."

Then go, puppet, Kunzite thought rather viciously but answered with, "As you wish." But as Zoisite started to walk out of sight, he called out, "Do not forget your training, however."

Kunzite felt himself stiffen at that, wondering just where that response had come from. Zoisite seemed to notice how out of character it was as well, aiming a questioning look back at him with a raised brow for emphasis. After a few tense moments, Zoisite smiled again perhaps a little bit wider and gave a sloppy salute, "Yes sir!"

Kunzite remained rooted, internally debating his next move whilst also questioning it. He shook his head roughly, rubbing his head. That damned phantom had messed with his mind it seemed despite his admittedly personable approach. No matter, he wouldn't allow that specter to haunt him for long and even so, he wouldn't be caught off-guard again.

* * *

**(Author's note in the next chapter. I'll explain, I promise!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Read, Review, Enjoy)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

* * *

In the dead of night, a single figure darted through the shadows of the looming buildings before finally alighting on a balcony. The shadowy figure glanced down briefly at the ever-flowing traffic far below before carefully slipping through the apartment door, shutting it quietly behind them. Sailor Mercury paused for one long second, praying to kami she hadn't made a sound this time. Nothing stirred, but she had always said it was better to be safe than sorry. Letting out a quiet sigh, she made her way to her room and allowed her henshin to drop until she was back in her normal clothing.

What a day, Ami thought wearily, almost mindlessly tugging off her clothes before retrieving her pajamas. Being a Senshi wasn't something she'd give up soon, but it took a toll on her admittedly weak physical stature. Not to say it hadn't been pointed out, of course; both Makoto and Minako had advised her to join their training sessions so she could quote un quote "toughen up". How could she have known that her life of being a reclusive bookworm would shift so dramatically in the last few weeks!?

Slipping her head through the shirt, she almost plunged into her futon and had to resist the urge to let out a happy giggle. So warm, so soft… She praised the one who came up with the concept of a bed to no end as her mind started to shut down, brain slowly winding down from all of the day's activities.

But as she left one world of consciousness, she soon found herself right in the middle of another one. Ami looked around her new surroundings, eyes widened as she took in the exquisite design of room. It was meant for nobility, that she could be certain but there was something…familiar about this place. Why? She'd never seen something like this outside of the various documentaries about foreign royalty, and even this made it pale in comparison.

Questions abound, she nearly let out a shriek at the sound of someone knocking on the door, quickly searching for a place to hide…until she heard a voice.

"Enter."

She froze. That voice…she hadn't said anything, had she? Then how could she hear herself saying something if that was the case?

If that wasn't enough, what appeared before her eyes next had her remembering to breath.

_Herself_…or, was it really? Even so whoever it was could be considered her long-lost twin though she was sure that her mother and father only had her as a daughter and no one else.

The girl or rather young woman walked over towards the center of the room, just as the door swung open to admit a man, a guard from the looks of it adorned in full armor. The armor gave off a strange feeling similar to the room, the armor painted blue and gold with a familiar symbol emblazoned upon the breastplate.

Her symbol, or more specifically, her Senshi sign as the Senshi of Mercury.

_What is happening?_ she thought frantically as the lookalike walked around her, either unaware of uncaring of her presence.

"I thought I expressed I was not to be disturbed," the girl asked thetorically but the sheer tone of her voice sent an involuntary chill down Ami's spine.

The guard swung his armored fist over his heart and dipped his head slightly in reverence, "Forgive my intrusion Lady Mercury, but your mother wishes to see you."

Ami swung her gaze to the girl, her eyes widening to saucers. _Lady_ Mercury? Come to think of it, the girl was wearing one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen, the kind that befitted royalty and the like.

Wait…was this…could this be a vision of her past life? As a Princess? Though she had dismissed the idea initially, Rei had explained to her not long before they had saved Jadeite that their pasts would eventually come back to all of them the closer they got to the Shittenou. Was this because of her growing desire to save Zoisite…or did that youma actually do something to all of them after all?

Lady Mercury's voice broke her from her musings, "If the queen wishes to speak to me, she should've come herself," she dismissed, turning towards a desk in the room. "Leave me."

"I am afraid I cannot, milady," the guard pressed on warily. "She instructed me to drag you if necessary should you not come willingly."

The look that that her past self gave the guard could've froze Hell itself over, "You will do no such thing," she said primly, adjusting her dress. "I will speak to the queen myself."

"With respect, she insisted upon an escort," the guard added almost timidly.

Ami could've sworn she felt the room lower a few degrees in temperature as Mercury glared at the guard. "…lead on."

Before Ami could even think about following them, the air around her seemed to warp and the scene shifted until it cleared and reformed, showcasing a different locale. This time, her jaw did drop at the sight before her.

A throne of crystal – no, ice – stood before her, flanked by a row of guards in similar armor to the one that spoke to Mercury in her study in perfect formation. The woman who sat upon it had her do a double take at first, unable to tell the difference between this woman and her own mother.

_But, if what I'm seeing is my past, then she **would** be my mother,_ she thought in amazement. But where the mother she had come to know and love was warm and accepting, this one…

This one terrified her.

Beautiful as crystal, her gorgeous features were framed by an almost indifferent and lifeless gaze as she stared down at her… No, not _her_; at Mercury. She wore a more extravagant looking dress that resembled an elegant winter coat more than anything, the only skin showing being her face as ice blue eyes remained locked on her daughter. Her white gloved hand lifted up and made a quick wave before settling back down on the armrest of her throne.

The guards suddenly straightened and filed out of the room, never looking back as the heavy doors shut with a resounding boom. Silence reigned for several long tense moments until Mercury spoke, her voice somehow even colder if that was possible. "You sent for me, my queen?"

"Why have you dismissed your tutors?" the queen demanded, her voice calm but made Ami feel as though she were standing on thin ice.

Mercury didn't bother to meet the queen's eyes as she replied, "Their lack of knowledge is but a nuisance to me."

"They are there at _my_ command, not your whims," the queen stated firmly. "They will return to their duties."

"And like before, _I_ will send them away," Mercury shot back, this time meeting her mother's eyes with the same intensity as latter's. "I am perfectly capable teaching myself."

The queen's eyes narrowed slowly, "Do not make such arrogant assumptions, child. You will heed my words or there will be consequences."

"Are you trying to make me fear you, mother?" Mercury fired back, undeterred and with a bit of a sardonic smile that made Ami feel sick. "Because you needn't try; you do so all on your own."

The movement was so quick that she had to question whether or not it actually happened. But given the outstretched hands from both the queen and Mercury, there was no doubt. The now present spike of ice that Mercury had blocked was also a prominent example.

"Why did you call me here, mother?" Mercury asked calmly, the ice covering her hands melting instantly to water that fell in a puddle at her feet. "If it were to simply chastise me for my behavior, you would've done that the moment I walked in here."

The queen slowly lowered her hand back to her rest, her face having never changed despite the exchange between the two as she stared at the girl who was supposed to be her own child. Ami just stared at the two, uncomfortable with the tense environment between the royals. When she spoke, Ami could've swore she heard a note of pride in her voice, "You are ready."

For once, the flicker of surprise flashed across Mercury's face though it was only that, "Excuse me?"

"In two week's time, on your 18th birthday, you will sent to the Moon Kingdom to begin your training as a Sailor Senshi. Take only what you need."

"I thought Sailor Mercury was still alive?" Mercury all but sneered at her mother.

Ami looked back at the woman and though her face never changed, there was what appeared be a flash of sadness that went across her face before it settled, "Not anymore," she responded, almost softly.

Ami looked back at her past self but then felt something like someone pulling on her hair, tugging her back. The floor and the surroundings began to fly past her, all becoming a blur before she found herself thrust back into the real world.

Ami's eyes darted around the room, skipping from object to object before she finally relaxed. She was back in her room again, on Earth. Slowly to rolled over and sat up in bed, wiping a hand over her face before shuddering a bit.

What _was_ that? How was she able to see herself in the past like that? And why now?

That place…if that was supposed to be her home long ago, then she was glad that it no longer existed. Such a place was more like a nightmare than a dream for her at this stage. And her mother-

_Mother! _

She didn't know what came over her, but she had to see her mother – she had to!

Bursting from her room, she heard a squeak of surprise before a voice filtered through her ears. "Gods! Ami, don't scare me like that!" Ami turned toward the source, finding a woman with shoulder-length blue hair like hers standing there in a nurse's scrubs, staring at her with a tired but worried expression.

"M-mother?" she asked hesitantly, staring at her as if she had never seen her before.

"Yes, now what – OOF!" Saeko Mizuno let out a wheeze as her daughter nearly tackled her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Ami…Ami, are you ok?" she asked gently, touching her daughter's back softly.

"I…I am fine, mother," she answered shakily, struggling to get a hold of herself and chiding herself mentally for acting like a little girl. Still, this was who brought her into this world, this was her mother…not that woman, "Just a bad dream is all."

Her mother stared at her skeptically but a yawn escaped her before she could voice her thoughts.

Ami slowly released her, backing up to a respectable distance, "Gomen, you just got off work."

"It's fine, dear," her mother said, another yawn escaping her. "But-?"

"I am fine now, I promise," Ami said, giving her a small assuring smile. "Please, rest."

"Well…ok, but don't hesitate to come to me, alright? Even if you need to wake me up."

It was all she could do to not take her up on that offer, "I'm fine, please get some sleep. You've earned it."

Her mother gave her one more long concerned look before disappearing into her room, leaving Ami standing there in the hall. The bluenette gave a sigh and returned to her room, closing the door and looking around her room.

To her, the past was nothing like what she had expected. If anything, it was terrifying but at the same time she wanted to know more. Perhaps her past could have answers to how to save Zoisite, perhaps even to his own past in that case. Despite the optimistic notion, she was not looking forward to seeing her past self again if that were the case.

But all that being said, a sudden glare hit her eyes and forced her to look away. Recovering, she spotted the sun beginning to crest over the mountains, casting light across the vast cityscape once more.

Another day had arrived, as always. But this one felt different than the others...she didn't know why, but she felt something was going to happen that would change things.

* * *

Darkness. It had surrounded him, enveloped him and at one point it nearly consumed him. Something had kept it away from him but for what reason he did not know. All Zoisite knew was that he was left to wander in this empty place that he had come to assume was mind, or some variation of it. It had been like this since the word "yes" came out of his mouth.

Then Metaria took over him.

Here, in the darkness that had become his mind, Zoisite was left to think but not control. At least not until he was awake, that is…then he was Metaria little puppet. On some level that title annoyed him but if it got him closer to completing his ambition, he would allow it. All that mattered was saving his brothers and ending Mercury's life.

"And yet, we're no closer to that than before," Zoisite "said" aloud. "All Metaria does is hold us back – why?"

Normally it wouldn't be smart to air these treasonous thoughts aloud, but Metaria was not conscious in his mind when he slumbered. The reason? She saw no purpose in it and had told him thus. And so it left him with what could considered the only true privacy he held these days. He had plenty of time to think now, but as time passed with that the thought of something missing began to cross his mind.

A preposterous thought. What could be missing from his life? He had power, he had status, the love of his queen and now the blessing of the most powerful being in the known universe. He had-

Then, a thought struck him and he sobered immediately.

No, he didn't have everything. Not anymore at least. His brothers were gone, and Kunzite's view towards him had shifted almost overnight to the point where he was considered more of a stranger in his eyes. His brothers were missing, kidnapped by the Senshi and he had sworn to get them back.

But why? That thought brought him up short. Why? They were his family, it was obvious wasn't it? …wasn't it?

"Kunzite, Nephrite, and Jadeite…they're my brothers," he said aloud, almost trying to convince himself. How strange that he'd never even questioned the bond he shared with them. It wasn't that he didn't feel it, no. Though they were not related by any means, they were as close family and had fought side by side for…

"Wait, when did I even meet them?" His first memories of meeting the rest of the Shittenou, the men he had trusted his life to… Where were they?

He scoured what he knew was still his mind, searching for some sort of, what, proof to all of this? What proof did he need for his brothers? All that mattered was that they were there, they had been by his side all this time. That's all that should've mattered.

"No," he said, shaking his head and grabbing his head, "there has to be more to it! You can't just have this kind of connection and not understand it!"

If it was just his brothers, he might've written the notion off as paranoia from becoming Metaria's plaything. But that wasn't it, though. Though he was loathe to admit it, there was a connection to the Senshi as well, to one in particular. And most damnable of all, she, off people, seemed to see through what he presented to see who he really was.

And so, for the first time in perhaps ever, the dreaded question floated through his mind unable to be ignored, "Who…am I?"

"Would you like to know?"

Zoisite jumped, settling into a combat stance almost on instinct as he faced the unknown voice. His eyes widened in surprise as he took in the form of the armored young man that stood before him, watching him with what looked like amusement in his deep blue eyes. "What…how did you-?"

"Get in?" The owner of the voice chuckled humorlessly, "I'm afraid your mind isn't as airtight as Metaria would like you to believe, Zoisite."

That name… How the bloody hell did hearing his name from this guy invoke such feelings of…what? "Who the hell are you?"

"You want to know who you are, yes?" the man went on, ignoring his question.

Zoisite hesitated, watching him with narrowed eyes. Instinct told him to refuse and attack, but the tactician in him told him to hold off – at least until he was sure this guy was a real threat. Though the fact that he knew Metaria was a tell all on its own. "And if I say I do...?"

The man gave him a grin that made an unsettling feeling form in his stomach, not entirely unpleasant but still unsettling, "Then you need but look."

Zoisite opened his mouth to speak, but a bright flash engulfed his vision and made him cry out. Before long, the sound of birds chirping and water flowing made him open his eyes, finding himself standing in a large open courtyard with a few gardens around and a large decorative fountain in the center. But what stole his attention were the pair of figures before him, two boys to be exact. They couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old.

The two of them were sparring from the looks of it, the larger boy with short white hair obviously possessing an advantage. His strikes were slow but full of power, Zoisite could see, but he wasn't ready to count his opponent out just yet. The other boy with short black hair by contrast was playing on the defensive, mostly avoiding the larger boy's strikes as much as he could.

Somehow, this scene was reminiscent of something but he couldn't put his finger on it at first. But then, like a bolt of lightning, it came to him and connected the dots. A loud cry and commotion from up ahead drew him from his ruminations, finding the larger boy having pinned the smaller one to the ground.

"Ow, ow, ok I give!" the shorter boy yelled, slapping the ground. The larger boy released him and he flopped on the ground with a grunt, rolling over to stare up at his opponent with a bit of a glare, "Did you have to go so rough?"

"It's hardly my fault you've been slacking off," the larger boy said with a grin, holding out his hand to the boy.

"Maaan, how could you let him kick your butt like that, Endy," another voice drawled, Zoisite shooting a look towards the source. There, sitting on the edge of the fountain tossing a half-eaten apple up and down, was a blond-haired boy that eerily reminded him of a certain someone, mischievous glint to boot.

But that name…

"Oh put a cork in it Jadeite! I'd like to see you do better!" Endy snapped, folding his arms with glare towards the lazy blond.

_Jadeite?! But, if that was Jadeite, then that meant-!_

"Hah! No thanks. I already got my fill from Kunzite," Jadeite snickered, catching his apple and taking a quick bite out of it. But as he went to take another bite out of it, it was suddenly ripped from his grasp and went flying. "H-hey!"

Kunzite caught the apple as it flew towards him, aiming a sideways look at the blond as he held up the apple, "And just how are you going to explain to the Lady Gretchen you've been stealing from her orchard?"

"Easy," Jadeite said and threw out his hand, causing the apple in Kunzite's hand to combust into flame and turn to ashes. "No evidence," he added with a smug grin.

Both boys glowered at him then shared a look, nodding, before moving towards him. They let out a roar and shoved Jadeite into the fountain, drenching the jokester with a laugh.

Jadeite's head shot out of the water, and Zoisite could swear that there was steam shooting out of his ears as he glared daggers at the two, "You're soooo lucky I can't make fireballs yet."

Before he could say anything more, two new figures appeared in the courtyard, one of whom made Zoisite's mind twitch in an annoying way.

"Boys!" a beautiful brown-haired woman called out to the trio, silencing them immediately. Their eyes widened as they saw who it was, Endy doing his best to make himself invisible behind the larger form of Kunzite. "Endy," she called out with a scolding tone, drawing the boy back into view, "playing around again, dear?"

"We were just having fun, mama," the boy explained, blushing in embarrassment before he saw who was with his mother, "who is that?"

The woman gave a gentle smile and looked down at the boy whose shoulders she was holding, "This one is going to be staying with us from now on, as a member of our little family," she explained, the boys' eyes widening in shock. "Say hello," she said to the boy next to her.

His response was to curl up into her in fear, only peeking out from behind her dress.

Zoisite just blinked, unsure of what he was seeing. What was he witnessing here? Setting aside the fact that Jadeite and Kunzite were present here, he had no clue to the purpose of any of this.

"Oh dear, it's ok," Endy's mother said softly to his past self, crouching down to pull him close to her. "They won't hurt you, I promise."

The boy shook his head wildly in response.

The woman merely sighed and gazed down at the child sadly before looking up at her son who had started walking toward them. She gave a smile of encouragement and nodded slightly.

Zoisite watched as Endy walked closer before coming to a stop, calling out to the boy who refused to leave the safety of his mother, "Hi, I'm Endymion. What's your name?"

Zoisite's past self stuck his head out to glimpse at him before darting back into Endy's mother's arms, but not before a flash of light caught his attention. It looked like a rock of some kind.

"Is that yours? It looks cool." Endy walked closer, waiting for the boy to poke his head out again. "Can I see it?"

The boy waited longer this time to go back into his "shelter", reaching up with one hand to pull off and hand Endy his necklace before darting back into the woman's arms.

Endy held up and examined the neckclace, fingering the glimmering rock that seemed to change colors when the light hit it in certain spots. One moment it was green, the next was red, and at one point it even turned yellow of all things. As Endy was admiring the rock, the blond boy peeked out to watch him with a sort of reserved curiosity. He looked up into the eyes of the boy and smiled widely, "This is really cool, here you go."

The boy looked at him with hesitation, looking back and forth between him and the necklace before slowly inching out to take it. Unknowingly, he left the safety of Endy's mother to retrieve his necklace and was now standing fully in front of Endy. "T-thank you," he stammered, struggling to meet his eyes.

"No problem! I'm Endy, what's your name?"

"I-I'm…I'm…" the boy hesitated, gripping the necklace in his hands as he seemed close to tears.

"Dear," he mother interjected calmly, "I'm afraid he doesn't remember."

Endy seemed to consider this before reaching out and touching the boy's shoulder, giving him a small smile, "Hey, do you know what that rock is called?"

"H-huh?" the boy stammered before recovering, "O-oh, um…z-zoisite, I think."

"Ok, then you're Zoi then!" Endy declared with childish confidence, stunning both his mother and the boy. "It's ok, right? At least until you remember your real name, don't you think?"

"Uh…Zoi? Well…w-well I guess so."

"Zoi, huh? I think it's a wonderful name…cute too," Endy's mother said with a wink at the two boys that made them both flush with embarrassment. "Zoi, you couldn't be in better hands with Endy. Stay close to him, ok?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Zoi responded meekly before turning to Endy. "Uh, it's nice to meet y-you, Endy."

Endy nodded and held out his hand to Zoi, giving a grin to the boy as he waited for him to take it. Zoi stared at him for a long moment before reaching out, slowly, but eventually taking it. "Welcome home, Zoi."

With those words, Zoisite felt himself propelled as though shot out of a cannon and had to do all he could not to throw up at the sensation. When it finally subsided, he found himself back in his mindscape facing the armored man who looked to have been waiting for him. Zoisite barely managed to keep himself from falling over, his thoughts a whirlwind of questions and newfound doubts. "What…the hells…was that?" he breathed, blinking slowly.

"Your answers," the armored man explained.

Zoisite glared at the man, "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?! What _was_ all of that?"

"If I simply told you wouldn't believe me so it was best to show you."

Zoisite stared long and hard at that man before letting a bark of laughter escape him, sneering at the man, "Oh now I see. That was quite a ruse you pulled. I must admit that as far as illusions go, it was quite well crafted. The children were a nice touch though, if only to sell the scene. Bravo."

The armored man slowly crossed his arms, staring at him with a half-lidded gaze, "Really? You think that was all some elaborate setup?"

"I don't see why not? I'm already nuts from all my time in here as it is – what's one more lie?"

"Then why don't you tell me what that necklace is doing in your pocket?"

Zoisite nearly froze at that but played it off with a smirk, "Bah, please, there's nothing in my pock-" This time, he did freeze. His heart nearly stopped too as, when reaching into his pants pocket of his uniform, his fingers made contact with something. Slowly, he gripped the object and pulled it out until it was in front of his face. There, held between his thumb and forefinger was the very same crystal he had seen being worn around the boy's neck.

No, not just the boy's neck – _his_ neck.

"Impossible," he breathed, staring in disbelief at the shard of zoisite, his namesake. He forced his eyes from the glittering rock to glare at the armored man, "WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Think, Zoi. After all, it's what you've always been best at."

Zoisite stumbled back a bit as the truth of the man's identity slammed into him, staring at him with eyes of disbelief, "…Endy?"

The man, Endy, let out a chuckle and smiled warmly at him, "It's been too long since someone has called me that, Zoi."

"And…I guess the same goes for me, I suppose," Zoisite admitted before looking down at the rock. "What is going on here? Why did I only just now remember you?"

Endy let out a sigh, "That, is a long story, one of which you have unfortunately been an unwilling part of."

"You lost me."

"Look, there's not much time to explain so listen carefully: I've opened the door for you and now you've got a choice. You can either keep going, or shut it forever. Metaria won't know unless you get sloppy, but since you're not like that you'll be fine."

"I don't understand any of this! How do you know about Metaria? Wait, Endy…no, are you-?"

"I'm out of time Zoi. You have to make a choice. Good luck my brother, and hopefully we'll see each other again." And suddenly, Endy's image faded before his eyes and Zoisite felt a familiar feeling take over his body.

It was time to wake up.

Even as he felt control being wrestled from him by a being he now recognized was not native to his body, Zoisite for once felt himself filled with a purpose he'd only felt a few times in his life. No matter what happened next, he would find out the truth even if he had to do it under "his" own nose.

* * *

**(AND I'M BACK! Ok, story's updated now with two chapters so I don't need to worry about you guys killing me right? Ok? Ok. So, again, sorry about the delay but a number of things got in the way, plus I just didn't have my muse. I had a burst of it so thus, here you go. Now, not a whole lot happened in this update save for the Senshi getting their butts handed to them at first. But they still took a hit; how will that affect them? Find out here soon. Remember all that dark stuff I mentioned? Oh it's coming. And things are gonna get really nasty. *evil laugh* College is going to start here in a few weeks so I'm nervous and that is going to take up a number of my time until I get my classes under control. But don't worry, the story will continue and with any luck, this one will be done by the end of the year and we'll be on to V-chan and Kunzy's story. Can't wait to get to that one.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(Read, Review, Enjoy - note at the end)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

* * *

Moonlight shone in through the window of a rather spacious room, creeping towards the bed where two young souls, once lost but now found lay. Makoto lay curled up in Daichi's embrace, her fingers playing idly with his hair while they stared up at the ceiling. They had been like that for some time, neither of them tired but content to simply lay there and be in each other's presence.

"…I don't know how you did it," Daichi remarked quietly, one arm behind his head.

"Hmm?" Makoto hummed inquisitively, her eyes never leaving the ceiling.

"My mother – you must be a witch or something. I don't know how you won her over so easily," Daichi went on, blinking slowly.

"Same way I got you to come around," Makoto said, smirking a bit.

"Stubbornness?"

Makoto twirled a lock of his hair around her finger and yanked a bit, causing him to wince, "What was that~?" she sang, sweetly.

"N-nothing," Daichi whimpered, squeezing her a bit.

All joking aside, it was surprising how his mother had come around from the skepticism and wariness that she had shown to Makoto, to the almost mother-daughter relationship the two now had. Makoto whom, despite initial fears of the woman who brought him into this world, carved her way into his mother's heart through simply being herself.

"Wanna know something?" Makoto whispered scandalously. "She asked me for lessons."

Daichi blinked once, then twice and slowly rose to glare at her. "No."

"Oh yes," she returned cheekily.

"Let me get this straight. My mother – who won 1st place in the local baking competition when she was still in middle school – asked you for cooking lessons."

"Yup."

"That's it. This world has gone mad. I'll just take my leave now-"

"Oh no you don't!" she hissed, lunging out and grabbing him, dragging him down with her. She crawled on top of him, her long brown hair spilling out in a curtain that shrouded them into their own little world, of which she was lord and master. "You wouldn't deny your wife her husband, would you?" she asked, half-playfully.

"I don't think we would get away with that," Daichi pointed out with a sigh.

Makoto deflated instantly and let out a groan of pure frustration. "It's not fair!" she screamed into her pillow. "Stupid earth laws… If this were the Silver Millennium, we would already be engaged!"

A fact that was not lost on him, of course. It saddened him as well, to have to wait until she would be eighteen to properly marry the girl he had literally died for, twice.

But it wasn't the end of the world; this way, he could have more time to develop their relationship unlike they had in the Past. Here, he would be able to see her grow up into the beautiful woman who had been his wife.

The idea of it made him smile.

"You better not be thinking perverted thoughts, Dai-chan," Makoto warned, narrowing her eyes down at him.

"Like you're any better," he shot back, to which she grinned like a shark.

"Be careful what you wish for~!" she sang, bursting into a fit of giggles as he pulled her down, capturing her lips once more.

As they laid there together, Daichi wondered not for the first time if he really could do anything more with her.

Makoto may've been younger than he remembered, but she was still every bit as beautiful and enticing as she had once been – and she knew it. Simple things, like brushing up just close enough so he could pick up the scent of her when they were walking down the street, was enough to have him question his resolve.

He wanted to go further – gods he did, and if Makoto's recent actions were any indication she did too – but he always stopped. It just didn't feel right, especially after they had only just "gotten back together".

A fact that annoyed her to no end, as she was fond of telling him whenever she had him pinned to a discrete looking place where they could be alone.

He held her tightly to him, breathing in her scent and just pushed aside all the lingering thoughts he had save for one: right now, he was with the love of his life. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

_First came the stars, twinkling innocently above; then the Moon, glimmering like a jewel against the cosmos. _

_Then pandemonium. _

_Bodies… bodies everywhere. Terran traitors, cutting down all the people she knew and loved with glee scrawled across their faces. Each swing, each cleave of their mighty earth-forged weapons spilling blood, so much blood. _

_Her sisters, she could feel them. Their auras burning brightly against the darkness that was threatening to swallow their world whole, born from the entity whose face marred the night sky. Blood-curdling laughter thundered in her ears, beady eyes filled with malice boring down into her own as she stood defiant. _

_With the face of the warrior she was trained to be, she faced the coming tide with all the power of her home at her disposal. Its emerald currents sterilizing anything they touched. Thoughts of pity, sympathy and sorrow were in the background of her mind save for one. _

_Nephrite…her love, her bonded – where was he? There had been rumors, awful rumors that had made her sisters cry out in grief, glow with unbridled hatred or simply deny they were true, like she had. She could not, would not entertain them…the very notion of it was expelled from her mind. It was impossible, it could not be possible-_

_But truth was often a cruel facet of life, one that she came to face even as her very heart screamed for it to not exist. There he stood, this amazing man she had given everything to: her heart, her spirit and her body, which now housed something more precious to her than life itself. _

_She didn't want to accept it, even as he stood before her with eyes of contempt. He was her beloved! The sight of him forced that smile she had so readily for him onto her face, as she raced over to embrace him. _

_What a fool she had been, and the mistake was not solely hers to bear. _

_The cold, wretched feeling blossomed from parts of her she couldn't comprehend of pain. But the pain was not just physical – it was the kind of pain that only one who has lost everything would experience. _

_That blade that Nephrite wielded had pierced not just her body, but what they had created together. Blood dripped…and dripped…the life blood of her…her child…their child! _

_Pain…pain…pain that _consumed _her, _destroyed _her…and _transformed _her. Pain that turned her from the being whose power funneled through her, to a literal avatar of rage and retribution. _

_Electricity burned through her veins, almost scorching her body from the inside out as she screamed and lunged forward, the blade going even further into her body. Her gloved hand clawed at his face, digging in as she screamed bloody murder, the murder of her child. That pain bore fruit of an agony that he soon experienced, that agony boiling his beautiful face from the inside out as his screams of agony echoed hers. _

* * *

Makoto let out a sharp gasp, shooting up in bed with beads of sweat dotting her brow. She breathed hard and heavy, her hair a tangled mess around her as she stumbled up from the bed. "No, no, no," she whimpered, pawing frantically at her stomach.

Her child…her baby…

_'WHERE IS MY BABY?!'_

Sucking in a pitiful gasp, she stumbled to her feet and darted across the room to the bathroom, lunging for the sink, twisting the faucet on. She cupped a handful of cool water and threw it over her face once, twice, three times before she finally started to calm her racing heart. Slowly she started to calm down, till it felt as though she could keep hold of her heart.

Until she looked up…

"Mako-"

"NOO!" she shrieked, stumbling backwards in utter fright, emerald eyes wide with abject horror.

"Mako-MAKOTO! What's wrong?"

"S-Stay away from me! NO! NOO!"

His face…oh by the goddesses, his _face_…! All it had taken was a brief look at him, and she felt her insides revolt.

His face…it was a charred, blackened mess even as he spoke in that same voice she loved so much. His uniform was burnt, looking as though it were nothing but soot, and he held a blood-stained sword in his hand as he tried to approach her.

"Mako-chan, what is it? Please tell me what's wrong!"

"STAY BACK I SA-!" Red met her eyes, a bright red glove that was supposed to be white entered her field of vision, milky with freshly skilled blood – his blood.

No… No just _his_ blood…_their_ blood…

Horror shifted gears, replaced by something more familiar, more comfortable. This emotion she allowed to fill every pore of her body until the person known as Makoto was gone.

In her place, a woman from a bygone age who, at the end of it all, lost everything that once made her who she was. She was the storm, she was fury, she was the Soldier of Thunder.

"Mako-OOOF!" Nephrite grunted, as she pounded her foot into his chest, sending him careening out of the bathroom, into the body of the bed. "Ahh… Mako-!"

**"JUPITER POWER, MAKE UP!" **

The henshin's soothing, but tingly embrace was as much comfort as she could get for the moment. She brushed it to the side, storming out of and faced her adversary, her expression thunderous. "YOU…!" her voice rumbled, thunder echoing her followed by the sound of rain starting to fall.

"Mako-!"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at him, thunder clapping in resonance with her will. She ignited a hand of lightning, glaring balefully down at his burnt, pitiful visage.

_That face, that face, getridofitgetridofitgetridofit!_

She threw out her hand, ready to vaporize him into nothing…!

"Mako…" he called again, coughing hard.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!" she let loose, her howl punctuated by a bright flash and the makings of an earthquake beginning to shift the ground. Her hearing dulled, but she did not care – she fled, running and running.

She had to leave, to get somewhere, far as she could from him until she could find out if her baby – her baby, her baby, _her_ baby…

_'Momma loves you, darling. Momma will protect you, always…'_

* * *

Ami shot up in bed, feeling a sudden pain shoot through her head that nearly made her black out. Thunder crashed outside, rain pelting hard against her windowsill. Sirens began to wail in the distance, as she struggled to get out of bed. "What…what's…happening?"

**BOOM!**

Her head shot up at that, as the sound of a bomb going off rocked her eardrums, nearly bursting them. A dull ringing filled them afterwards, leaving her disoriented. She got to her feet, moving over towards the window heedless of the degree of rain that was pounding away at the glass. She stared out, feeling that somewhere, something had gone horribly wrong.

A fact that was soon proven correct when her communicator chirped.

_"AMI! Are you alright?!"_ Minako's voice punctuated the silence of the room, even with the din of the storm.

"I-I'm fine, Minako-chan…what happened?"

_"That's what I want to know. Listen, I don't care if Hell is being unearthed out there. I'm trying to get a hold of Rei-chan, but she's not answering – same thing with Mako-chan. If we don't hear back from them within the next few minutes, I'll-!"_

_"Guys, are you ok? What's going on?! It sounded like World War three just started!"_ Usagi cut Minako off, frantically.

_"Princess, stay right where you are, understand!? Don't move unless the Prince or one of us comes to get you – got it?!"_ Minako ordered, assuming leader-mode for the moment.

_"Ok, ok, but what happened? And where are the others?" _

As these questions filled the air, Ami's dread grew more and more. Something had gone wrong, evident by the fact both Makoto and Rei had gone dark. If something had happened to them, she hoped that Daichi and Ryuuji were at least ok.

Suddenly, a voice finally came on that loosened her worries to some extent, but not much. _"Guys, it's me. Rei is out cold right now, and I can't get a hold of Nephrite."_ Ryuujis voice was no coming through on Rei's communicator – that wasn't helping anyone's anxiety.

_"NANI! Is Rei-chan ok?"_ Usagi blared, worry oozing from her voice.

_"I don't know…I mean, she's asleep now but…I just don't know,"_ Jadeite murmured, and the sheer worry in his voice caused Ami's fears to worsen.

_"Alright,"_ Minako, no Venus butted in, _"Jadeite, stay with her. _Do not _leave her side. Mercury, head to the Arcade and track down Jupiter. Even if she is not answering, we can track her aura. I've got a feeling here and I hope I'm wrong, but until everyone is present and accounted for, we need to move. The fact that this random storm's subsiding doesn't help my sanity, either." _

True enough, what had amounted to almost typhoon like winds had begun to calm down to the previously clear night sky that was forecasted.

_"I'm not going anywhere,"_ Jadeite replied firmly before cutting the channel.

_"Princess-"_

Usagi gave an unhappy sigh, _"I'm staying put, don't – HEY! Out of my room you little-!" _

Ami bit her lip, "Venus… Do you think-?"

_"We'll find out, I'm sure,"_ Venus replied._ "I'll meet you at the arcade. Venus out." _

Then the channel went dead, and Ami flopped down on her futon with wide eyes. What in kami's name had just happened? Nothing was making sense. But sitting here trying to contemplate it would just drive her to insanity, so she headed to the door and chanced a peek into her mother's room. Somehow, she was still fast asleep which was both a relief and a worry, but it wasn't something she could think on right now.

Right now she had to find a certain brunette and hopefully, hear back from the one she had been with. She just hoped that Daichi was alright, wherever he was…

* * *

Jupiter's "explosion" had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the city, either. Sirens filled the air as the police raced down the street towards the origin point, many staring with wide eyes at the impact point.

What had once been a proud oak tree had been almost obliterated by the looks of it, the remains of the soot-caked branches still emitting trails of smoke. The tree must have been set on fire then immediately doused by the torrential downpour, however brief it had been.

But while the officers left outside were scratching their heads, the ones that went in to talk to owners of the property were greeted by two very distraught parents, Kurumi and Gendo Akihara

Gendo explained as much as he could to the officers save for what he had found when he barged into the room his son and his girlfriend Makoto Kino had been in. They didn't need to know that not only had he found the room left in a mess by something - both the bathroom door thrown off its hinges the bed itself having suffered for whatever the hell happened, not to mention the slew of windows he would have to replace. But they damn sure did not need to know about the state his son had been in, lying there on the floor with a vacant expression on his face.

Like his wife, Gendo was worried about Makoto considering she was nowhere to be found when he found his son, but right now his priority was his family.

His son had not uttered a word since everything went to hell. He just sat there, staring off into space with a gash on his forehead from when one of the wooden pillars had crumbled on top of him. Though this normally wouldn't have worried him, it was how he saw it that worried him. He could get Daichi's attention even in that state of his, but for the past hour or so his son had not even looked at him. It was like he was in another world.

_'Damn it, what the hell's going on?'_

"Akihara-san?" A voice broke into his thoughts, finding himself faced with two women, one of whom he recognized. "Might we have a moment of your time? I understand it's gotten quite late, but it's only a few questions – promise."

Satomi Tanada, the talk of Tokyo Metro Police Department. This woman had been making waves lately, and there were even rumors about her being groomed for the position of Commissioner. Given her incredible reputation, perhaps it was not too far of a stretch. "Tanada-san, I take it?"

The raven-haired woman beamed, "Word travels fast, ne? The young lady next to me is my new operations chief, Kata-chan-"

"Katarina-san is fine, Akihara-san," the foreign woman stressed with a slight glare toward the veteran Asian officer who just shrugged. "We understand this has been a very trying night, but could you perhaps relate to us what happened again?"

Gendo stared long and hard at the woman but, after a few moments, judged her to be sincere enough. "A few hours ago, we were woken up out of a dead sleep by the sound of shouting…then something crashing. And as I tried to get onto my feet, this sound…it was like standing within earshot of a building demolition, but twice that."

Sanada shared a brief look with Katarina before continuing with a look over at the young man still quiet in the corner, "What about your son? The report mentioned he might have a concussion. There was also the mention that he wasn't alone when you all had retired for the night – who was he with?"

"Makoto-chan…" Kurumi spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "We couldn't find her… What if she…please, you have to find her!"

While Katarina tried to discern his wife's tearful stammering, Gendo kept an eye on Sanada as she walked past him and over toward the ruins of the bedroom. He had no idea what she was expecting to find that the police hadn't already combed through, but she hadn't got to her position for nothing. Maybe she might be able to see something they hadn't.

_'What a damn mess,'_ he groused.

* * *

Unaware to anyone else, a single shadowy figure stood upon the roof of the house, surveying the area with a scowl on her pretty face.

"Damn! I didn't expect this kind of response so quickly," Sailor Venus grumbled, her eyes darting back and forth watching the officers patrol the grounds.

While she had initially been impressed at the kind of place he used to live in, it was drowned out by the sheer worry for her friends.

She had found Daichi quickly enough, but with all the guards around there was no way she could get close to say something to him. And really, even having just got a glimpse of him, the guy looked like he had been through Hell.

One down, one to go, she had thought until she had come up nil in her search. Even a sensory probe didn't reveal where her brunette friend had vanished to, although she could feel her skin tingling from the amount of power that had been released her. It was almost identical to the night when she had nearly skewered Kunzite with a lightning bolt – _almost_.

This…this was far worse. The energy that radiated her was almost miasmatic; there were times she felt it difficult to concentrate until she started to put some distance between her and ground zero, which had, fortunately, been just a tree in the yard that was now nothing more than a pile of ashes.

_'Whatever happened…if Jupiter's aim had been just a few feet off…' _

_'Focus, girl!'_ She chided herself, returning her thoughts to the true crux of the matter.

Why had it even happened in the first place? Jupiter of course was more than capable of releasing energy like that if she felt the drive to – it wasn't any different than if Mars or even Mercury used their powers to turn the city into a literal Hell, or freeze it over. But the only way they could do that was if they were at their mental and emotional limits. She had assumed Jupiter had already reached hers the night Nephrite nearly died, but apparently not.

Her communicator chirped, and she was quick to answer it. "Go, Mercury."

_"I've scoured the city at least three different times, but I can't pick up her aura anywhere,"_ Sailor Mercury explained in an exasperated voice. _"It's like she just vanished." _

"Or she's suppressing it, which isn't helpful," Venus deduced, narrowing her eyes. "Any word from Jadeite?"

_"Rei is still out, but she seems fine. I'm not detecting any fluctuations in her aura. The Princess is secure, too." _

"And the Prince?"

_"Last I checked, he was in the tree next to her window…" _

Venus eye twitched at that. She did not know whether she should kick the reincarnated prince's ass for daring to get so close to their Princess when he himself was still a target, or to envy that Usagi had such a devoted prince. "Then he can stay there until we figure what in Kami's name is going on."

_"…Daichi?"_ Mercury asked quietly.

Venus sighed, "He's in one piece, but I can't even get close to him. The response was immediate; I'll have to be careful getting out of here with – wait… I'll call you back."

From her position, she had a good view of the bedroom where she determined Daichi and Makoto had been, via the skylight. And through it, she caught a glimpse of someone she recognized, someone who she had never met but heard about through her channels as Sailor V: Satomi Tanada

Venus would never admit it but she was quite a fan of the beautiful officer that was quite the badass, considering her reputation. She'd be lying if she said she never wanted to meet the woman as Minako Aino, but she could not risk getting caught as Venus. If the rumors were true, this woman would be one of their newest headaches and with everything going on, the last thing they needed was another thing to worry about.

Still, she watched as the woman roamed about the room in an almost casual manner, stopping every so often to examine something, namely the wrecked furniture in the room before moving on. When she walked out onto the balcony and glanced down at the tree, or what was left of it, a slow smile started to cross her face. She couldn't hear what she said, but it sent a chill down Venus' spine all the same.

But that paled in comparison to whom she came to spot next. A familiar face brought back memories of what felt like a lifetime ago, her stomach dropping.

_'Katarina…what is she doing here?' _

Her shock hadn't just been limited to her mind, it had influenced her body as well. For one who prided herself in the art of stealth, one simple slip of the foot made a chunk of tiling slide off the roof and down to the ground where it shattered against the ground.

And just like that, all Hell broke loose.

"Someone's up there!"

"Secure the perimeter, go!"

"Get them down here, NOW!"

Venus' mind struggled to come back to reality, even as chaos erupted down below her. If she were to look back even once, she might've seen Tanada glancing at her out of the corner of her eye…and the shock that had bloomed across Katarina's face.

* * *

**(Ladies and gentlemen, I have a proper excuse this time so please, for the love of God, don't dust me just yet! College caught me off-guard and I was in no way prepared for it. Even though I buckled down last month, I still flunked two of my classes and now have to repeat a class. It's not fun, and it leaves me little time to breathe let alone write. I had three classes last semester: failed two of them. Now I have two this semester, one of them is the class I'm retaking. The work load is a little less stressful but I'm still up to my ears if I don't keep a schedule. QED, please bear with me as I struggle through this. I have not given up on this. Updates will just be a little slower - well, slower than they already were. But as it stands, I probably won't be finishing this story this year. But I did promise that this story would be a little darker than the others: here's your first taste of it. This is the beginning of some pretty nasty stuff for the girls and the guys. A lot of feelings are going to be shredded here, and I haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. So watch for that, and pray for Daichi because that man just had his world ROCKED. Plus, now Tanada seems to know more about the Senshi and maybe who one of them might be. Tune in next time to see how the rest of the girls reacted to this.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(First and foremost, I want to apologize right of the bat. I said last chapter you would see how the rest of the girls reacted to the storm. Well, it won't be this chapter I'm afraid. I wanted to get a viewpoint from characters who are still present in the story and have their own purposes, plus give a little insight into how specific characters might end up. I have more to say but I'll save that for the end. For now, Read, Review, Enjoy.)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will own Sailor Moon. That is the blessed creation of Takeuchi-sama.

* * *

"Makoto…Kino Makoto! Haruna-sensei called out, casting a cursory look over her students, her eyes locking on one seat specifically.

Empty – _again_.

Haruna-sensei gave a sigh, checking off another tick under the column marked: ABSENT. "This is not a good start for her," she mumbled, though everyone in class heard it. "Ok, we'll resume from yesterday's lesson…" she began, turning toward the chalkboard to whip up some examples.

Usagi cast a mournful glance at the seat where her new friend usually sat, finding empty, just like it had been for the last three days. After all, it hadn't been that long since the freakish storm that had suddenly swept through the city.

Nobody would tell her what had happened, of course. They thought they were protecting her or something, but she wasn't that dumb. Something had happened that night, something horrible, and Makoto's absence was telling.

If she had missed a day or two then there might not be any real reason to worry, and she initially thought that was the case. The storm happened last Thursday; if Makoto wanted to play hooky for one day, it wouldn't turn any heads.

But ever since then she hadn't shown up. Not just school, but anywhere.

Today was Tuesday – she hadn't heard from or seen the brunette for almost a week.

While a part of her missed the girl's home-cooked meals instead of her mom's, she still missed her friend terribly and worried about her. And even though Minako had transferred into her class, there was little to be happy about these days.

And then there was Daichi…

That had come out of left field just a few days ago. She had been invited by Mamoru to visit and had all but given herself the works – dolling herself up, putting on a bit of makeup she had been given by Minako, and going through nearly every outfit in her closet before settling on something casual but cute. Everything had been going great until the doorbell had rung and found none other than the auburn-haired man standing on the other side.

Her eyes stung as she remembered how…_destroyed_ he looked. Dark circles under his eyes, both bloodshot like he had been crying, and a cobbled together outfit that barely looked street worthy. All in all he was a wreck, to the point that Mamoru had told her go back home for a while. It might've seemed rude on his part and she'd be lying if she said a part of her wasn't a little ticked by it, but one look at Daichi's lifeless eyes quelled any protests.

And that had been the last time she had seen either of them. She tried calling Mamoru to see how things were, but he never picked up. Part of her wanted to say to hell with it and bust in the door as Sailor Moon to fix whatever was going on, but Serenity had shut that idea down.

_"We don't even know what's going on,"_ she had told her, which only furthered her frustrations.

But it wasn't just Daichi and Makoto that had been affected by whatever happened. Both Rei and Ryuuji, the previously happy couple of their group were now arguing almost every day. And while she didn't know why those two love birds had suddenly turned to fighting like cats and dogs, she was willing to bet a week's worth of milkshakes that it was because of the storm.

If the Dark Kingdom attacked right now, they'd be good as gone.

_For once,_ she thought wearily, _I hope the only thing I have to worry about today is Math…_

* * *

In the short time they had come into the public light, the Sailor Senshi were revered as heroes and protectors of the city, a belief that was only enforced when the longtime vigilante Sailor V had turned out to be part of them. Many admired them and respected that they put their lives on the line against vicious, nightmarish beings.

But this wasn't always true, especially given recent events. Some had come to view them as a destructive menace or at least, a nuisance and therefore unwelcome here.

While the Police had largely sided with the heroines due to Commissioner Sakurada's influence – and obvious obsession with Sailor V herself – there were a few in the department that did not agree with them.

As you could probably guess, Satomi Tanada was one of them.

That wasn't to say she hated the Senshi personally, of course. If anything, she admired what they did and why they did it. But there was another driving factor that led her to view them in a not so pleasant light, namely the incidents that had gotten many innocent people caught in between. For someone who had joined the force to protect the people, the Senshi were now making themselves out to be unwitting oppositions to that goal.

So she had started digging, starting from the very first case of when "Sailor Moon" first appeared. The report had been standard: break in at the Crown Jewelry shop, damaged merchandise with the store owner locked away in a closet. But when the only eyewitness of the mess had given her account, Satomi had to do a double take.

The witness in question - one Osaka Naru, daughter of the store's owner - had described a fearless heroine in a sailor fuku, that had faced a nightmarish beast that had been responsible for impersonating her mother, and had been reduced to dust that had been also found at the crime scene.

It was a ridiculous account by all standards and one that any of her peers would've dismissed.

But she didn't. She knew that she had found her lead, and she had a framework to go on now.

From there, the other pieces fell into place: the unexplained disappearance and subsequent shutdown of a newly opened cram school, the recently solved case of school girl disappearances around Hikawa Shrine, but perhaps the most telling of all, how a detachment of officers that had been sent to secure the regional airport had all been found knocked out and with no memory of what had happened.

All of it pointed to the Senshi, and Satomi just knew that what was happening was, for once, out of her depth. If she wanted to properly deal with this, she would need help – someone who had firsthand seen what the Senshi could do.

Her search led her to employ the aid of Katarina Morales, an Interpol officer in London who was rumored to have known the resident vigilante whose profile mirrored a certain masked heroine that had been doing their work for them.

Thus, they were now here and at a critical point in an investigation that could go either way.

On one hand, last Thursday had tipped off who might be one of them and she already had a pair of trusted officers staking the girl, Kino Makoto's place, out. She hadn't shown yet, but she figured the girl had to go home sometime.

On the other, things could get a little more complicated than she initially thought. For one, she hadn't really believed in the power these Senshi could wield until that night. Even after seeing the hole in the soon-to-be demolished building a week earlier, she hadn't really put any stock on their abilities until she saw the incinerated tree in the Akihara's front yard. The thing to note here was not _that_ it happened, but _how_ it happened. Only the tree had been struck while everything else, save for the windows that had been shattered by the resulting impact, was left untouched.

So instead of doing what she had been doing for the last five years, she waited. There were still some things that needed to be covered first before she made her move. But she knew for certain that Kino was, if not a member of the Senshi themselves at least close to them, and she could use that.

Rather, she could use the girl's friends who, while mostly an uninteresting bunch, had one notable contact that made her lips twitch in irony.

"Oh, the universe loves to toy with me," she grumbled with a bitter smile as she reached for her phone, and dialed a phone number she never thought she'd punch in again. She didn't have to wait long for a response.

_"Speak."_ The voice was one she hadn't heard in almost seven years, but still maintained that gruff, no nonsense policy that made her smile.

"It seems you haven't changed much, Higashi."

The voice on the other end was silent for a long moment but returned with the same presence as before. _"…Satomi. I must admit, I wasn't expecting this."_

"Yes, well it seems the impossible is a common occurrence these days. How is your campaign going? Still vying for that vaunted position of yours?"

_"Why are you calling me, Satomi? We both know this isn't a social call, considering our last encounter was parted on less than ideal terms." _

There were rare moments when her ire would be met but having to remember the death of her best friend – and how the man who loved her had taken it – still made her want to break something.

"You have nobody to blame but yourself for that, but you're right, this call is about business." She glanced down at the photo from the file she had been reading over, finding a familiar girl looking back up at her with a bit of a frown. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was looking at a clone of Yumi-chan-"

_"Do not mention her name,"_ Higashi growled at her.

"She was _my_ friend before she was ever _your_ wife – deal with it," she shot back, testily. "How is Rei-chan these days? I wonder if she's had to beat off the boys with a stick yet."

_"My daughter is none of your concern." _

"You're right – it's _yours_. And perhaps you should check in on her, to see if she's not getting into anything over her head. She is her mother's daughter, after all."

_"What are you getting at?" _

"Oh, nothing really. Just a bit of friendly advice: make sure your daughter doesn't start getting involved with things out of her depth. Hell, you don't even have to go; send one of your errand boys with those too perfect smiles to check up on her. That's easy for you, right?"

_"If you are quite finished, I have better things to do than listen to you belittle me,"_ Higashi said with a note finality.

"Sure, sure – go write a speech or something, anything that means you won't have to face-_"_

**CLICK.**

She pulled the receiver back from her ear calmly, betraying the glare she bore as she set it back down. Still, she had gotten the message across and that was enough.

Now she had to see to her dear subordinate who had been quite shocked to see her deceased friend still alive and kicking.

"Bad form, V-chan," she muttered as she walked out of her office.

* * *

"This…isn't what I thought it would be like."

**_"Hush, child. Let the pain flow. It strengthens, not weakens you." _**

Beryl gritted her teeth as she knelt on the cliff that overlooked Metaria's confines, a storm of dark energy surging around her form. The queen felt as though strips of her flesh were being flayed from her body one by one, the next more painful than the last.

She did not dare question her master though. All of this power was at her disposal – _their_ disposal – and it would be childish to complain about these bouts of pain. If it was necessary to a greater existence than the one she currently had, she would accept it.

But the doubts, like the pain, still lingered deep in her mind.

And one doubt especially made her thoughts collide until one single image formed in her mind: the image of a young man, clad in a resplendent suit of armor who favored her with a kind smile.

_Endymion,_ she thought with equal parts fondness and bitterness.

In all her years of searching for the Silver Crystal, she had shamefully forgotten about her one true love. Prince Endymion, the love of her life, the one who belonged to her and nobody else. And now he had shown himself…along with the one person she wanted to wring the life out of, personally.

Both…_together_.

The storm around her flared wildly as her emotions fluctuated, a snarl coming over her otherwise beautiful features.

**_"I can sense your hate, child,"_** Metaria said with a wicked little giggle.**_ "It, above all else, is your greatest weapon." _**

"I want her dead," Beryl hissed. "I want to see the life leave her eyes, as the one she tried to steal watches. She's but a girl, a pest to be sure, but a child all the same. Kunzite should be able to dispatch her with ease."

**_"You are many things, my dear, but naïve is not one of them. I have told you time and again that the White Moon heir is not to be underestimated. She possesses a heart the same the one who spawned her, and that alone makes her dangerous." _**

"She's but a little princess playing a hero," Beryl scoffed, opening her red eyes.

**_"That may be true, but she has a talent for rallying others to her cause, as evidenced by the fact that your beloved prince now serves her every whim. Then of course there is the matter of her guardians, but you need not worry long about them." _**

Beryl's face mirrored confusion as she stared up at the glowing mass of energy in the distance, "I do not follow, master."

Metaria gave another wicked giggle, **_"All in time, child. All you need to be aware of is that whatever union keeps them together will soon be no more."_**

Beryl frowned, not understanding but also not questioning her master's logic. She had not steered her wrong yet, and was the reason she had been given this second chance.

Indeed, had it not been for her, she would've still been living a lie and would never have realized her destiny.

And if these bouts of agony were all it took to reclaiming what was rightfully hers, she would bear it all with a grin.

_Endymion…soon, my darling, we will be together. Wait for me. I will come for you, soon._

* * *

Once more a spectral observer, Zoisite watched events of the past play out as before, this time feeling more at ease with the idea of it. As of now, he was witnessing one of the memories that had begun to return to him, one of where he and Endymion – his prince – were stuck in the palace archives together.

They'd been studying at the time for an upcoming exam that was due the next day when they found themselves sealed within, the guards having locked them in unknowingly. Now they were scrambling about for a way to get out without resorting to shouting for help.

That had been Endymion's idea, not his.

"Zoi, give me a boost up onto these shelves. If we can get to those windows, we might be able to make it onto the roof," the teenage form of the Prince of Earth said, trying to get a hand up on one of the towering bookshelves.

His younger self, roughly three years younger than the other boy gave a sigh. "My Prince," he began, with the same tone he used many times before now, "the shelves here are centuries old, so I very much doubt they would be able to support your weight."

The black-haired prince turned back to glare at him, "Do you have any better ideas, genius?"

Zoisite's face soured. Oh, how he _hated_ that title.

And it showed, as Zoi folded his arms and shot his own glare back at the Prince, "Name calling won't help our situation."

"It wasn't my idea to stay in here till dark, in case you forgot," Endymion shot back, turning towards the blond boy.

Zoi just lifted an eyebrow questioningly, "Perhaps you should've been paying more attention to your studies than going off with Jadeite on whatever crusade he'd been set on."

"Hey," Endymion flared up, indignantly, "that wasn't my fault! I told you, I went to make sure he didn't get into trouble with the Captain again. He'd already been caught peeking at his daughter while she was bathing."

"Admirable though that may be, _you_ are Jadeite's master and could've said no, perhaps even ordered him to not attempt his peeping."

Endymion folded his arms, lifting an eyebrow of his own, "And you think that would've worked?"

Zoi opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again immediately afterwards and let out a sigh. "…fair point."

Zoisite smirked. It wasn't often that anyone could outsmart him, but Endymion was one of the few who could. Even the rest of his brothers found it difficult to get the jump on him when it came to logic.

_Although Jadeite himself tends to defy that very aspect at times,_ he thought with a bit of a chuckle.

"Besides," Endymion went on, catching both of their attention, "I couldn't be considered your prince if I let you walk headlong into any kind of danger by yourselves. We may not be blood, but we are kin all the same – right?" Endymion flashed a damnable charming smile that seemed to have the power of undoing most people's initial notions.

"…right," Zoi eventually said. He glanced up toward the shelves again, and spotted one off to the fart end that looked more stable than the rest. "If you are dead set on this idea of yours, then allow me to climb up."

"Wait a minute – why didn't you say that before?"

Zoi turned to him and flashed a teasing smile, "Why my prince, it would be remiss of me to deny that adventurous spirit of yours," he said, watching as Endymion's face soured.

"I'm getting you back for that one of these days," the black-haired boy grumbled.

"I'll hold you to it," Zoi replied just as Zoisite did from afar.

The memory began to collapse around him, and he soon found himself back in his mind-space again. Unlike the dark hole he'd found himself in before, this time it resembled his own room back in the real world. As he discovered more about his past, the more familiar he began to feel with his own mind and had shaped it to a place he could calmly reflect within.

So far he had relived nearly every memory from the past concerning Endymion, his brothers, and even his own past – the latter of which he blocked out as it didn't help him in the slightest.

But now he had hit a point where he would have no choice but to start experiencing the memories of the fabled "Collapse". Those memories were obviously the most important he felt, as they would detail everything that had led to his current stance as well as how he had become a prisoner in his own body. Metaria had taken over him, yes, but the whole act of how he even got to the Dark Kingdom remained a mystery.

And yet, thus far, he had avoided it. It was maddening. Those memories would likely hold the key to understanding his purpose and the person he had aspired to be, but he had shied away from them every time.

What was it about the Collapse that filled him with such dread? From the Dark Kingdom's perspective, it was considered their greatest victory and one to be celebrated, embraced even. But now that he was learning about the truth of his past, it painted a much more horrifying picture.

Something had happened to him, something that had caused both him as well as the rest of his brothers to betray their prince to serve a new master, one that clearly did not have Earth's interests in mind.

There was something else too, and those thoughts led to him picturing the water senshi in his mind. What did she have to do with any of it? Were they friends? In their brief encounters, Sailor Mercury had not fought with intent to harm him when they were alone, but instead had tried to "save" him.

_Who is she,_ he thought, truly for the first time. _And why now does thinking about her fill me with such dread? _

There were questions, after questions that began to pop up in his mind. Questions that needed answers, otherwise he'd go mad.

Mercury held a piece of his past and against everything that rebelled in him to stay away, he would take it back. If only to understand what they meant to each other.

A glimmer from his chest brought his attention down to the shard of zoisite that hung around his neck. He lifted it up in his palm and eyed it, watching the crystal glow in a myriad of colors, as though approving his decision.

_That settles it then. No point in putting this off any longer. _

With a deep breath, he allowed the energies of his mind to flow through him, the sensation more powerful than the previous ones and lost himself to reverie.

* * *

**I know, I know, short chapter but bear with me. My fall semester just started and with my previous math class out of the way - yay!- I only have two more classes to take before I'm done with Math for the rest of my degree plan. Thankfully, it's not as strict on deadlines like the summer semesters were. And between both it and work, my time will be stretched thin.**

**Now, there is something I'd like to make known and one that I really would rather not, but it's been bugging me. A lot of you guys are guests and while there's nothing wrong with that, I can't put a name to those guests. So if at all possible, I'd like to ask if you continue to review this story, make an account on here so I can reply to you with any questions you might have. It's not hard, doesn't take long and doesn't cost anything. I know I might be asking a lot but if some of you could do that, perhaps the ones who faithfully read this, it would make things a lot easier for me. **

**Now, as for story stuff. I promise this time the next chapter will deal with the Rei and Ryuuji's reaction to the storm. I won't sugar-coat it, it will be some angsty stuff and will be the tipping point for where things start getting bad for our heroes. But at the same time, we'll also see Zoisite and Mercury's first meeting in the Silver Millennium. Maybe even our wayward thunder senshi will make her reappearance as well, who knows? **


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